
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



THE 



Spiritual Side of Our Plea 



V? 



BY AVB'V JCi-U 



N*' 



St. Louis 

CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1901 



-V 



tfl 



*\ 



Sfc 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

SEP. 20 1901 

Copyright entry 



^ 



CLASS ^ XXc. N« 
COPY B. 



Copyrighted by 

CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1901 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Introduction 7 

I. Authority in Matters of 

Religion . . . . 17 

II. Without and Within . . 35 

III. The Letter and the Spirit 54 

IV. The Real and the Formal 70 

V. Alexander Campbell on Re- 
mission of Sins . . 108 

VI. The Word and the Spirit . 193 
VII. Alexander Campbell on the 

Word and the Spirit . 316 

VIII. Righteousness and L,aw . 363 



The Spiritual Side of our Plea 



INTRODUCTION 

A FKW introductory words may help the 
reader to a better understanding of this book. 
It is a rare thing for a man to speak or write for 
the public without subserviency to party inter- 
est or popular favor in some measure. Really 
independent thought and unbiased utterance on 
topics of public concern, and on which issues 
have been formed and partisan feeling awak- 
ened, are uncommon commodities in social, 
political or religious life. The very claim of 
having attained to such a condition is calcu- 
lated to provoke doubt and criticism. And yet 
there are sometimes circumstances which of 
themselves tend to superinduce that state of 
mind. The author of this volume has been a 
semi-invalid for fifteen years, wholly incapable 
of regular active labor of any kind. This en- 
forced retirement from all public official rela- 
tions to society has placed him in a position of 
immunity from the influences of popular clamor, 
partisan prejudice and sectarian bias, and has 
brought to him a rest from the usual conflicts 
of society, and given him a season for reflection 
and meditation. The result has been a careful 
(7) 



8 INTRODUCTION 

review of Christianity as set forth in the New- 
Testament Scriptures, and as advocated by 
Alexander Campbell and those associated with 
him in his effort to restore to the world a pure 
apostolic religion. And the result of these in- 
vestigations and studies is, in a large measure, 
expressed in this book, concerning which it is 
proper to make the following further explana- 
tions: 

In the preparation of this volume there has 
been no aim whatever at literary excellence. 
That thought, if present at all, has been so un- 
consciously. Perspicuity and strength have 
been the chief objects, in so far as the thought 
of style has entered into the work. To be un- 
derstood, and to carry conviction to the reader 
in the matters whereof he has spoken, have 
been the dominant influences with the writer. 
We have written, too, with reference to the 
general, average reader, rather than the elect 
few; for the people, and not the critics. 

Beyond and above all other things, this book 
is written and published in the interest of truth, 
and, as it appears to the author, very important 
truth. It was written to encourage and fos- 
ter truth, the love of truth, and the spirit of 
seeking truth — truth as revealed in history and 
as contained in the Holy Scriptures — truth as 
related to the Christian world in general, and 



INTRODUCTION 9 

especially with reference to my own brethren, 
the Disciples of Christ. 

The author has held the conviction for many 
years that there was a necessity for a review 
and a restatement of some of the prominent 
points of Christian doctrine, as held and advo- 
cated by Alexander Campbell and those associ- 
ated with him, in their efforts at a reformatory 
movement and a restoration of primitive Chris- 
tianity. This necessity grows out of the fact, 
as the writer of this volume believes, that there 
exists in the minds of many people a gross mis- 
apprehension of the real position of Mr. Camp- 
bell with regard to these vital doctrines of 
Christianity. No man ever assailed established 
institutions without incurring opposition, mis- 
apprehension and misrepresentation. There is 
still a necessity existing to-day for explanations 
of the teachings of Luther, of Calvin, and of 
Wesley. They are still quoted on both sides of 
some questions. The different phases of truth 
which to their minds were consistent and har- 
monious appear to some minds inconsistent and 
contradictory. The same thing is true in the 
case of Alexander Campbell. This is particu- 
larly so in regard to his teachings on the design 
of baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit. 
Two capital points with Mr. Campbell, on 
which he placed great stress, were, first, the 



10 INTRODUCTION 

value and importance of the Word of God as 
revealed in the Holy Scriptures; second, the 
value and importance of the ordinances of 
Christianity — baptism and the Lord's Supper. 
He believed in the divine personality of the 
Holy Spirit as the agent in the conversion, sanc- 
tification and salvation of men. But he held 
that the Holy Spirit operates on the minds and 
hearts of men, not without light and truth and 
love, intelligence and thought and feeling, but 
through these, and along with these. And, in 
order that this light of intelligence, this thought 
of truth, and this feeling of love, may be 
brought to the mind, and planted there for the 
Spirit's use and opportunity to carry on his 
work, Mr. Campbell held that the Word of 
truth, as contained in the Gospel of Christ, 
should be preached and believed. And that 
this Gospel, as revealed in the Word of truth, 
may be successfully preached and believed to 
the saving of souls, the Holy Spirit is ever pres- 
ent, operating and co-operating with this Word 
in the conversion of men — operating and co-op- 
erating, as Mr. Campbell himself expresses it, 
by "the ministry of men," "the ministry of 
angels," "special providences," "suggestions," 
"impressions," "direct communication of orig- 
inal ideas," "bringing things to remembrance 
long since forgotten," "bringing men's minds 



INTRODUCTION 11 

to consider these matters," "removing difficul- 
ties," etc. But Mr. Campbell contended that 
however and wherever souls are converted to 
Christ, "it is the light and love of God in the 
Gospel that finally converts them." Hence his 
earnest contention for the value and importance 
of the Word of God in the scheme of human 
redemption, and his aversion to and repudiation 
of any system of theology that rejects the power 
and efficiency of the preached Gospel, and 
which maintains that the Holy Spirit converts 
men without the light of truth. Speaking of 
the ministry of Christ on earth, his working of 
miracles to attract attention and create interest, 
and his preaching the truth along with the 
miracle, and the accompanying presence of the 
Holy Spirit along with both, Mr. Campbell 
says, in his debate with Mr. Rice, page 622: 
"The miracle opened the heart, the testimony 
of the Iyord entered, and the Spirit of God with 
it; and the work of conversion was finished." 
But it was his contention that without that 
"testimony of the Lord" — the light of divine 
truth, the Spirit never converted men. It is not 
difficult to see how this contention, this de- 
mand for the Word of God as indispensable to 
conversion, declared, proclaimed and empha- 
sized before the world, by tongue and pen, grew 
in its proportions until it grew in some minds 



12 INTRODUCTION 

out of proportion, and men began to think and 
to proclaim that Alexander Campbell rejected 
the Holy Spirit, and believed in the "Word 
alone." 

Nor is it strange and unaccountable that a 
class of men, preachers with a legalistic and a 
materialistic turn of mind, even among his own 
brethren — men not given to spiritual modes of 
conception, of thinking, and of living, good 
men albeit, and, in some instances, strong men 
intellectually — should drift into this false no- 
tion of Mr. Campbell 1 s teaching. 

The same things are to be observed with ref- 
erence to Alexander Campbell's teachings con- 
cerning the design of baptism. He held that 
baptism was for the remission of sins, "in a 
sense " as he was wont to express it. He did 
not believe the transition from the world into 
the church was complete without baptism. He 
did not believe the remission of sins was com- 
plete without this complete transition from the 
world into the kingdom of God. But he did 
believe and did teach that there is a moral, a 
spiritual transition from darkness to light, from 
unbelief to belief, from condemnation to accept- 
ance and favor with God, before and without 
baptism, but not to the neglect of baptism. 
He did believe and teach that sins are remitted, 
"in a sense," before baptism, and upon the 



INTRODUCTION 13 

grounds of the sinner's trust in the blood of 
Christ. The distinction and difference between 
moral states and legal states were clear in his 
mind — clear as a sunbeam. He held that 
"baptism is for the remission of sins," and 
that no man is legally remitted or legally 
enfranchised in the kingdom of God on earth 
until his baptism. That on the grounds of 
his penitent trust in the Lamb of God, and 
on the grounds of his obedience in baptism 
he is completely remitted, and completely 
enfranchised in the kingdom, the Church of 
Christ; and that until both the moral and legal 
provisions of the Gospel are complied with, the 
remission and the enfranchisement are incom- 
plete. This was Alexander Campbell's posi- 
tion on this subject. 

Now, it is not difficult to understand that, 
holding this view, he felt it necessary to em- 
phasize the value and importance of baptism; 
that he felt it his duty to declare that no man 
was remitted, that no man was enfranchised 
completely until he was baptized. And it is 
not difficult to see how, declaring, proclaim- 
ing and emphasizing this with tongue and 
pen, at home and abroad, far and near, pri- 
vately and publicly, some people came to think 
that Alexander Campbell held to baptism for 
the remission of sins in an unqualified sense — 



14 INTRODUCTION 

held that sins are never remitted in any "sense" 
until a man is baptized. Nor is it difficult to 
perceive how some of his own brethren, given, 
as we have said, to legalistic and materialistic 
ways of thinking, should believe and preach 
this view as in accordance with Mr. Camp- 
bell's ideas. 

With a view to setting forth all these facts in 
their true historical and scriptural light the 
author of this volume has labored in its prepa- 
ration — labored through physical infirmities of 
years' standing. There has ever been present 
with him a consciousness of his own inadequacy 
to present this subject, in its details and in its 
outlines, in the full measure of its importance, 
and of his own laudable ambition in the matter. 
His highest hope has been to contribute some- 
thing in the direction of a more spiritual con- 
ception of Christianity, and a more spiritual 
life on the part of his brethren. 

That our movement for a restoration and a 
realization of original Christianity has been, 
through misconception of the subject, hindered 
and in some sections diverted from its true 
mission in the religious world, the writer does 
not hesitate to believe. 

This book, then, is an effort to set before the 
world the views and the teachings of Alexander 
Campbell and his colaborers in their full-orbed 



INTRODUCTION 15 

light, and to show that these views are in har- 
mony with the Word of God as revealed in the 
Holy Scriptures. To accomplish this extensive 
references are made to the writings of Mr. 
Campbell; extensive quotations have been made 
from his writings. It has become necessary in 
some instances to employ the same quotation 
more than once. The different phases of the 
discussions as we have pursued the various 
lines of investigation, have rendered this nec- 
essary. In the effort to be understood and to 
make the subjects treated clear, there may 
appear at times some redundancy and super- 
fluity. For this no apology is made. "Line 
upon line, and precept upon precept," is the 
method by which the understanding of the 
average man is reached. 

Another incentive to the publication of this 
book is the hope that the young preachers may 
be benefited. One of the strongest preachers 
that ever occupied a pulpit among the Disci- 
ples, or among any other people for that mat- 
ter, an educated man, and a writer and speaker 
of distinguished ability and irresistible power, 
said to the writer of these lines a few years ago, 
just before his death, "I doubt whether the first 
half of my ministry did more harm or good." 
He had grown up and had begun his ministry 
with gross, superficial views of Christianity. 



16 INTRODUCTION 

At the time of our conversation he was nearing 
his threescore and ten years. He was then 
preaching a series of sermons for the church of 
which the writer was pastor. We had heard 
him preach in his younger days. There was a 
striking contrast in the manner and matter of 
his former and his latter preaching. In his 
early preaching he was severely legalistic and 
literalistic; in his later preaching he was in- 
tensely spiritual and religious. It is an immense 
saving to a young preacher if he can begin his 
ministerial life with correct views of Christian- 
ity. That some assistance might be given in 
this direction has been a strong incentive with 
the author in the preparation of this volume. 
And were he to formally dedicate the book to 
any one, it would be to his young brethren of 
the ministry. 

With these forewords of explanation this vol- 
ume is committed to its errand while the author 
invokes the blessing of God upon the book and 
upon its readers. 

A. B. J. 



The Spiritual Side of Our Plea 



i. 

AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF 
RELIGION. 

In what court are the matters of religious 
faith to be adjudicated and determined? By 
what authority are the affairs of my spiritual 
life to be settled and accepted? What is 
authority? The Standard Dictionary gives, as 
its first and most essential definition of author- 
ity, this: "The right to command and enforce 
obedience." That is clear, comprehensive and 
satisfactory. But where does this "right to 
command and enforce obedience" rest? The 
question of infallibility obtrudes itself into this 
investigation. This authority, it is thought, 
ought to be infallible, as a necessary qualifica- 
tion "to command and enforce obedience." 

The Roman Catholic Church, in ecumenical 
council, in 1870, decided that this infallibility 
was lodged in the Pope. But how are we to 
know that that decision was correct — infallibly 

correct? Must not the council itself be infalli- 

2 a?) 



18 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ble in order to settle that article of faith? 
Whence its authority, its infallible authority, 
to determine the infallibility of the Pope? Did 
this council find this great truth in the Bible? 
Why, then, cannot the rest of us find it there as 
well? Did God guide their minds into the dis- 
covery of that truth in the Bible? Then why 
does he not so guide the minds of all other 
earnest seekers after truth, and lead them to 
see the same important doctrine in the Bible? 

With Protestants, generally, infallibility is 
assigned to the Word of God as revealed in the 
Bible. But in what sense is the Bible infalli- 
ble? Who wrote the Bible? Men. Are men 
infallible? The world has known but one 
infallible man — the man Christ Jesus, the 
God-man. How, then, can fallible men pro- 
duce an infallible Bible? Is not this similar to 
the question the Catholics have to face — how 
can a fallible council produce an infallible Pope? 
But it is agreed on all hands, by believers, that 
the men who wrote the Bible were inspired. 
But does inspiration imply infallibility? Cer- 
tainly not, in a general sense, else the writers of 
the Bible were infallible men. This they were 
not, by general consent. They did not claim 
to be infallible men. But inspiration means 
inerrancy, infallible certainty in the writing 
down of that wherein they were inspired. The 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 19 

Holy Spirit illuminated their minds to under- 
stand unmistakably and to write down uner- 
ringly the matters wherein they were inspired. 
Within this limit they were made inerrant, in- 
fallible; without this limit they were like other 
men. They were not, then, absolutely infalli- 
ble. But, by general consent, there are many 
other things in the Bible than those "matters 
wherein they were inspired." Now how are 
we to infallibly draw the line between the 
"matters wherein they were inspired" and the 
matters wherein they were not inspired? This 
is certainly important. But even in the "mat- 
ters wherein they were inspired," that were 
originally written down with infallible accu- 
racy, how have they been transmitted to us? 
Through transcription after transcription, and 
translation after translation, from one language 
to another. Who made these transcriptions 
and these translations? Uninspired men, falli- 
ble men, like ourselves. Then, even if "the 
matters wherein they were inspired" were in- 
fallibly written down at first, how can they 
come to us, through the handling of fallible 
transcribers and fallible translators, and through 
intervening centuries, as the infallible Word of 
God, the inerrant Bible? Evidently not at all, 
in any absolute sense — only in an approximate 
sense. But again, even if the original, inspired 



20 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

and infallibly written Word bad come down to 
us, tbrougb an infallible handling, bow can 
fallible men like ourselves read and understand 
that Word with infallible certainty? Language 
is mercurial; words have different meanings. 
Figurative speech abounds in the Bible. The 
plain and the ornate shade into and out of each 
other imperceptibly. Without an infallible in- 
terpreter, how are we to know that we have the 
true sense of the infallible Word? And this 
introduces us again to the Pope, and to the old 
question, How shall we know that the Pope is 
infallible? 

There is no absolute infallibility but with 
God, the immaculate, infinite God. All other 
infallibility is but approximate — an ideal. 

But we crave a standard whereby we may 
settle our difficulties and bring contentment to 
our hearts. Where is it to be found? 

Protestants claim the Bible as that standard. 
But what means all this contention among 
Protestants; this diversity of views; this alien- 
ation of feeling; this denominationalism? A 
perfect standard, yet an imperfect measure- 
ment; an infallible standard, yet a fallible use 
of it. How is this? 

"The Bible is for the people, and the right 
of private interpretation is theirs," cried Luther 
in the sixteenth centurv. "The Bible and the 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 21 

Bible alone is the religion of Protestants, " 
cried Chillingworth in the seventeenth centnry. 
"Where the Bible speaks we speak; where the 
Bible is silent we are silent," cried the Camp- 
bells in the nineteenth century. 

At a conference of ministers, held in Lexing- 
ton, Ky., in 1841, at which Alexander Camp- 
bell was present, the following resolution was 
adopted, indited, doubtless, by his presiding 
genius: 

"Resolved, That the Bible, and the Bible 
alone, is a sufficient foundation on which all 
Christians may unite and build together; and 
that we most affectionately invite all the relig- 
ious parties to an investigation of this truth." 

Luther fought for his principle of "private 
interpretation" against the usurpations of the 
priesthood of the Catholic Church. The Camp- 
bells fought for their principle of an open Bible 
for all the people against the "hireling clergy" 
of Protestantism. "What is the great differ- 
ence," asked Thomas Campbell, "between 
withholding the Scriptures from the laity, as 
the Romanists do, and rendering them unintel- 
ligible by arbitrary interpretation, forced criti- 
cisms and fanciful explanations, as many Prot- 
estants do; or by making the people believe 
that they are nearly unintelligible by urging 



22 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

the necessity of what is called a learned clergy 
to explain them?" 

But let us not lose sight of the question 
before us — How is the infallible Bible to re- 
ceive an infallible interpretation? or rather, 
How is the approximately infallible Bible to 
receive an approximately infallible interpreta- 
tion? Every man is to read and interpret 
the Bible for himself. This is liberty; this 
is responsibility; this is Protestantism; this is 
Christianity. But, in this view, where is the 
"authority" — "the right to command and en- 
force obedience?" As there is no absolute 
infallibility but with God, so there is no 
absolute authority but with God. But, if the 
Bible contains the revealed will of God to man, 
then it is, in some sense, vested with authority 
over man, and it becomes his duty to recognize 
that authority to the full extent of its signifi- 
cance. But why do we accept the Bible as of 
Divine authority? 

We accept the Bible as the inspired Word of 
God, as containing the revealed will and, in 
some sense, the authority of God, not because 
some council has so decided (many reverent, 
religious people do not know that a council 
ever did so decide), not because the Pope so de- 
cides (many godly people do not care a snap 
for the Pope); but because there is something 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RFJJGION 23 

within us that tells us that the Bible is God's 
Word, God's will, God's authority. But what 
is that something within? Man was created in 
the image of God. In spite of his weaknesses 
and infirmities, he is still an intellectual, moral 
and spiritual being. He has something within 
that responds to thought, to moral ideas and to 
spiritual conceptions. The acorn planted in 
the soil responds to the conditions and grows. 
A marble so planted does not respond and grow. 
"The Word of God is the seed." Human con- 
sciousness is the soil. The authority of human 
consciousness in matters of religion is a subject 
that needs to be more carefully studied. The 
authority, did I say? Yes, the Bible is submit- 
ted to every man to examine and determine its 
claims and its merits. On his own personal 
responsibility he is to consider it, to accept or 
to reject it. Then he is vested with the author- 
ity of a judge over the fate of the Bible so far 
as he himself is concerned. 

But what has consciousness to do in this mat- 
ter? The word "consciousness" is here used 
instead of the word "reason," which is gener- 
ally employed in such discussions. It is used 
in preference because it is more comprehensive 
and because it has the appearance of placing 
the judgment-seat deeper in the human soul. 
Religion appeals not only to man's rational 



24 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

nature to excite thought and to exercise reason, 
but to his heart, to arouse his emotions, his 
feelings, his affections; and to his intuitional 
nature, his spiritual intuitions. That these 
are distinct powers or capacities, if not distinct 
faculties of the soul, is conceded. There are 
some subjects that address themselves to our in- 
tellectual perceptions exclusively, and leave the 
heart unmoved. 

Problems in mathematics, for example, while 
they provoke thought, frequently most intense 
thought, yet do not touch our sympathetic and 
affectional nature. The heart is dormant dur- 
ing all the hours of our mental activity in con- 
sidering and settling questions of geometry aud 
trieonometrv. Pure thought determines such 
matters. But there are other questions that 
pure thought cannot determine and settle — how 
to deal with your children, for example, with 
your parents, or with your wufe. People who 
never had children can easily tell us how to 
govern and raise our bovs and girls. Thev 
have no feelings, no heart in the matter. 
They simply reason on the subject. But 
parents both reason and feel, they think and 
love. The parental consciousness is a com- 
pound of these two factors. And it is plain to 
be seen that this consciousness is more compre- 
hensive than reason, since it is composed of 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 25 

reason and affection combined. These two ele- 
ments are blended together in our decisions, our 
judgments. 

But intuition is still another distinct faculty 
or power of the soul. There are some things 
we know without reasoning about them, since 
they are primary truths that shine by their own 
light. They are the initial points of all rea- 
soning. We cannot reason without using them 
as the means of reasoning. Such are the axi- 
oms in mathematics — things which are equal to 
the same thing are equal to each other, etc. 
On this foundation the whole science of mathe- 
matics is constructed. So, then, even in mathe- 
matics, both intuition and reason are involved 
and co-operate. But they both move together 
in the cold realm of intellectuality. 

In the same way moral science, the science 
of right living, is conceived and established. 
The idea of right versus wrong is intuitional. 
It is a primary truth. While men may err in 
judgment as to what is right and what is wrong, 
they clearly understand and agree that there is 
such a distinction and such a difference. With- 
out this we could no more teach morals to chil- 
dren than to animals. 

Now religion is a science, the highest and 
grandest of sciences. The Bible comes to man 
as an authority on this subject, and invites man 



26 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

to sit as a judge, his own judge, his own author- 
ity, in considering its claims to be God's Word. 
In exercising his right of private judgment 
in a general way, and of private interpretation 
in detail, his profoundest consciousness is awak- 
ened. His mental, moral and spiritual powers 
are all laid under contribution. Thought finds 
its noblest sphere of activity, the heart its am- 
plest field of delightful employment, the intui- 
tion its arena of highest effort and attainment. 

Man's intuitional nature responds to the idea 
of God. The reality of his being is both a con- 
ception and a perception of man's spiritual in- 
sight. It is a primary truth on which all re- 
ligion is founded. Without this, religion would 
be an impossibility. With this solid rock on 
which to stand, reason begins her constructive 
work, and to every effort of reason to use the 
facts and truths of the Scriptures in the frame- 
work of religion the heart brings its reinforce- 
ment. Nothing stirs the emotional nature like 
the idea of the eternal, immortal, infinite God. 

But in this process, intuition, reason and 
emotion conspire together. There is a blending 
of forces, a combination of powers, a co-opera- 
tion of agencies and a unity of energies, in the 
general make-up of consciousness. And con- 
sciousness is invested with a responsibility and 
royalty as never before. 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 27 

Human consciousness, then, as the resultant 
of intuition, reason and emotion, is the supreme 
court to which the Bible makes its appeal. In 
the use of it every man sits as the arbiter of 
his own spiritual fortune and destiny. He 
must decide on the claims of the Bible for him- 
self. Man has authority, then, to sit in judg- 
ment on this divine authority of the Scriptures. 
When his authority concedes the authority of 
the Bible, then his authority yields and submits 
to the authority of the Word of God; or his 
will and the divine will unite and blend togeth- 
er in one stream of sympathy and fellowship 
where all thought of authority is lost. " Search 
the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have 
eternal life," said the Savior. And in a public 
address, in 1820, Alexander Campbell said to 
the people: "Read your Bibles; examine the 
testimonies of those holy oracles; judge for 
yourselves and be not implicit followers of the 
clergy." And again he said: "We cordially 
wish to take the New Testament out of the 
abuses of the clergy and put it into the hands 
of the people." 

When Luther maintained the right of the 
people to read and interpret the Scriptures for 
themselves, and when the Campbells contended 
for the same principle, did they concede the 
ability of the masses to successfully exercise 



28 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

this right? Are the masses competent to sit in 
judgment on the august claims of the Bible to 
be an inspired record, to contain a revelation 
from heaven, and to be clothed with the dele- 
gated authority of the Eternal God? Are they 
competent to interpret the Living Oracles, to 
understand the life-giving Word? These great 
men knew, as we all know, that the masses are 
uneducated, unlearned. To enter the great 
field of evidences for and against the claims of 
the Bible, to ply the arts of textual and con- 
textual criticism, to follow the stately steppings 
of conservative and destructive critics, to be 
exegetesand interpreters of difficult and doubt- 
ful passages of Scripture — for all such feats and 
exploits the common people, the great masses, 
are wholly unprepared and disabled. But is it 
necessary that this whole field of investigation 
should all be learned, these tasks mastered, be- 
fore the heart can repose its confidence in the 
Word of Life; before the soul that is hunger- 
ing and thirsting after righteousness can be 
filled? If so, then indeed "there are few that 
shall be saved." 

Humanity is painfully conscious of its weak- 
nesses and its burdens, of its own limitations 
and inadequacy. The Infinite One has estab- 
lished a throne of authority in this human con- 
sciousness, and a throne of authority in the 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 29 

Word of eternal truth and promise. And these 
thrones are not rivals, but allies. "God is not 
the author of confusion, but of peace." The 
light greets the eye and the eye greets the 
light. The ear revels in sound and sound revels 
in the ear. The stricken, aching heart cries 
aloud for help; and the Word of God says: 
"My peace I give unto you, not as the world 
giveth. Let not your heart be troubled." We 
bury our dead, and fall down upon the grave in 
despair. And the Word says: "He that be- 
lieveth on me, though he were dead, yet shall 
he live again; and he that liveth and believeth 
on me shall never die." 

The path of life becomes obstructed, and the 
way of duty is not clear. We call for light. 
And the Word says: "If any of you lack wis- 
dom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all 
men liberally and upbraideth not." The great 
moral and spiritual lessons of the Bible, the 
essential and fundamental principles of right- 
eous and holy living, lie plainly written upon 
the surface of Divine Truth. The necessary 
facts and precepts for moral intelligence and 
godly discernment, the wisdom needed to pro- 
duce and to sustain "faith, hope and charity," 
are not hidden away in the obscure, doubtful 
and difficult portions of the Divine Record; but 
they stand out in bold relief, and always of 



30 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

easy access and understanding to ordinary in- 
telligence. The authority of human conscious- 
ness, in its universal application, is adequate, 
fully adequate, to receive, appropriate and en- 
joy these essentials of divine revelation. 

Some fifteen or twenty years ago there was 
published in one of our American magazines a 
symposium by several of the leading minds of 
England and America. The question discussed 
was substantially this: "Which is the safer 
guide in all political issues involving moral 
principles, the leaders or the people?" The 
names of the contributors to that article have 
all faded from my memory save that of the 
great commoner, Gladstone. He argued that 
the people were the safer, for the reason that 
they simply followed their instincts of right ^ 
while the leaders were liable to be swayed by 
the influences of self-interest, ambition, rivalry, 
etc. His noble thought and eloquent words 
were such as to leave an imperishable impres- 
sion on the mind, and to carry conviction to 
the heart. 

A few years ago, Judge Miller of the Supreme 
Court of the United States, delivered an address 
before the Bar Association of New York, on 
the jury feature of our national system of juris- 
prudence. He said, when a young lawyer he 
considered the jury system unwise and unsafe. 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 31 

The court being educated and versed in the law, 
he thought the ends of justice more likely to 
obtain in its hands than in the hands of an un- 
learned jury. But now, he further said, after 
years of experience and much observation, he 
would rather risk the equities of any case with 
twelve plain, honest, uneducated jurors, than 
with the most learned court of the country. 

So much for the question of morals in the 
view of the immortal Gladstone. So much for 
the question of justice in the view of the dis- 
tinguished jurist, Judge Miller. The most 
prominent feature of the Bible is its recogni- 
tion of the people, the great masses of human- 
ity. The poor, the ignorant and the outcast 
are the special objects of attention. "Not 
many wise men after the flesh, not many 
mighty, not many noble are called. God hath 
chosen the foolish things of the world to con- 
found the mighty." The highest eulogy ever 
pronounced upon the Son of God is this: "And 
the common people heard him gladly." So 
much for religion in the view of the Bible. 

Human consciousness, then, is adequate in 
its authority to wrestle with the important and 
essential questions of justice, morals and re- 
ligion. And in the light of this fact, the 
declaration that "the poor have the gospel 
preached unto them" becomes luminous. It 






32 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

implies their capacity to deal with the great 
facts and truths of the gospel. 

But this religious consciousness may grow 
and extend its capacity and thereby enlarge its 
authority. Its very exercise is a process of 
education and development. And with the en- 
largement of capacity comes the enlargement 
of responsibility. "If you know these things," 
says the Savior, "happy are you if you do 
them." The practical incorporation into life 
of the truth discerned in the Word of God 
brings in a revenue of happiness, of self-appre- 
ciation, of conscious moral worth and aggran- 
dizement. Again, the Savior says: "If you 
do these things you shall know of the doctrine. " 
Knowing is an inspiration to doing, and doing 
increases the capacity for knowing. And thus 
the life, the growing life, becomes, like "the 
path of the just, a shining light that shineth 
more and more unto the perfect day." Nor is 
this battle to be fought single-handed and 
alone. "Heart within, God o'erhead," is the 
divine assurance. Human effort shall be rein- 
forced by the divine agency. "We will come 
unto him and make our abode with him" 
(John 14:23). 

Our definition of authority in the beginning 
was "the right to command and to enforce 
obedience." The "rieht to command" has 



AUTHORITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 33 

been considered. The "right to enforce" has 
no place in religion. Man can enforce nothing 
against God except to refuse God the privilege 
of enriching man's life. God can enforce 
nothing against man except the consequences 
of disobedience. An enforced religion destroys 
the essential elements in it — freedom and 
choice. Religion to be genuine must be volun- 
tary. "Whosoever is of a willing heart let him 
bring it an offering of the L,ord" (Kx. 35:5). 
"Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever 
will ', let him take the water of life freely" 
(Rev. 22:17). 

We have thus striven in this investigation to 
bring ourselves with open hearts and with a 
profound consciousness of our personal rights, 
capabilities and responsibilities, face to face 
with the open Bible, as the depository of divine 
truth, that we may hear the voice of God call- 
ing all men into fellowship with himself and 
with one another, on the essential and funda- 
mental principles of our holy religion. This 
was the fondest dream of Alexander Campbell's 
life. In 1839, in a very fraternal letter to 
Andrew Broadus, a prominent minister of the 
Baptist Church, of Virginia, written in reply 
to a similar letter from Mr. Broadus, Mr. 

Campbell said: 
3 



34 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"Could the friends of truth and union agree to meet on 
the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, ac- 
knowledging one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one body 
of Christ and one Spirit — could they leave the conscience 
free where God has left it free, and not bind their private 
opinions upon one another, and could they open their pul- 
pits, their ears and their hearts to a free intercommunion 
of preachers and people, and occasionally celebrate the 
Christian festival together, and devote themselves more to 
the study of the Bible and to the Christian holiness of life 
• — what a blissful time we should soon have!" 



II. 

WITHOUT AND WITHIN. 

Man has a body and a spirit. The body is 
without, the spirit is within. "Though our 
outward man perish, yet the inward man is 
renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16). The body 
is visible and material; the spirit is invisible 
and immaterial. The body is a reality and the 
spirit is a reality. 

Religion, like man, has a body and a spirit. 
And this body is without, visible, material and 
a reality; while the spirit is within, invisible 
and immaterial, but also a reality. The Savior 
says: "Did not he who made that which is 
without make that which is within also?" 
This he said as a rebuke to those who gave 
undue importance to the outward forms and 
ceremonies in religion, while they neglected 
the more important part — that which is within, 
the ethical and the spiritual, a sound morality 
and a pure religion. "You make clean the 
outside of the cup and the platter," says the 
Master, "but your inward part is full of raven- 
ing and wickedness" (Luke 11:39, 40). And 
again he says: "Ye pay tithes of mint, anise 

and cummin, and have omitted the weightier 
(35) 



36 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

matters of trie law, justice, mercy and faith: 
these ought ye to have done, and not to have 
left the other undone" (Matt. 23:23). The 
body of religion is in the sphere of its objective 
life, the spirit is in the sphere of its subjective 
life. The body is composed of ordinances, 
rites, forms and ceremonies — the ritual observ- 
ances of a man or church. The spirit consists 
of all those mental, moral and spiritual activi- 
ties, enjoyments and experiences that are within 
the soul of man, and which form for him a 
Christian consciousness — a conscious Christian 
life and felicity. 

Man's dual nature of outward and inner self 
is suited to his present life, is indispensable to 
his enjoyment under the conditions of this world. 
He needs his body. This puts him in touch 
with the material world around him. Through 
his physical senses he receives and appropriates 
what God offers him in the natural world. 
Earth, rocks, trees, flowers, water, air, light 
and electricity are all, through our senses, made 
subservient to our comfort and happiness. And 
this is the physical basis for his higher, spiritual 
perceptions and pleasures. What capacity the 
spirit has for enjoying this world, except 
through the body, we know not. But we do 
know that our loftiest spiritual powers are inti- 
mately associated with our physical organise 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 37 

and through its senses we commune with nature 
and with nature's God. 

In the same way the body of religion — the 
ordinances of the church and the forms of wor- 
ship — becomes the means through which its 
spirit, its thoughts and feelings, its faith, hope 
and love find expression. This dual nature 
is here also indispensable. We cannot conceive 
of abstract spiritual forces disseminating and 
propagating themselves in any way so well as 
through outward forms and ritual service of 
some sort. And when "that which is without" 
and "that which is within" are thus joined to- 
gether, we no longer have religion in the 
abstract, but in the concrete. 

There is also an interaction and a consequent 
reciprocal influence between the body and the 
spirit. This sensuous, physical nature of ours, 
while it may be the medium through which the 
spiritual man finds access to his noblest achieve- 
ments and highest delights, yet it may, by 
carnal tendencies and self-indulgence, blockade 
the way of spirituality. On the other hand, 
the spiritual man may so diffuse his moral in- 
fluence and power over the carnal nature as to 
bring it into subjection to the law of God. And 
in this way the highest attainments are made 
of both the physical and spiritual man. 

This fact is especially noteworthy as applied 



38 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

to the interaction and reciprocal influence of 
trie body and spirit of religion. How easy it 
is for our religious life to become formal; for us 
to be satisfied with observing the ordinances 
of the church; for all spirituality to be lost 
in ritualism. How frequently baptism is ad- 
ministered, the Lord's day observed, the Lord's 
Supper kept, without the heart's being stirred 
and moved by the sublime thoughts and mem- 
ories which these institutions were intended to 
make sacred and to perpetuate. And this sort 
of worship blights the spiritual discernment of 
men and dries up the fountains of reverence and 
devotion. A congregation thus led by a godless 
preacher will soon be in spiritual bankruptcy 
and moral decay, "having a form of godliness, 
but denying the power thereof." On the other 
hand, where there is an intelligent understanding 
of the ordinances and of their real significance 
and importance, they are not only divested of 
all fictitious and misleading values, but become 
the means of awakening the heart continually 
to richer experiences of spiritual life. The 
very consciousness on our part that we do a 
thing reverently because God has appointed it, 
and we can see in it his wisdom and goodness, 
serves to increase that feeling of reverence for 
him and all his institutions. It is thus we 
"grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 39 

Jesus Christ." A wise adjustment of the ex- 
ternal and the internal elements of religion and 
their scriptural association insures, by their help- 
ful action and reaction upon each other, a 
healthy and robust Christianity. But to main- 
tain this normal condition of things, this just 
proportion in the importance of that which is 
"without" and that which is "within," to 
quell all discontents of the outer against the 
inner, and all tendencies to mutiny and riotous 
inclinations of the inner against the outer — 
here is an "irrepressible conflict." And here, 
too, "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." 
This contention for supremacy between the 
spiritual and the ritual forces of Christianity 
is a present and perpetual influence in every 
individual heart, in every church, in every reli- 
gious body and in every age." It is indeed 
historic. A cold, lifeless formalism on the one 
hand, and a spiritual, mystical fanaticism on 
the other, are the extremes between which the 
pendulum of religious thought and religious 
life has vibrated in all the past. 

In 1 83 1 Alexander Campbell, in replying to 
some criticisms of Andrew Broadus, a Baptist 
minister of Virginia, on Mr. C.'s teachings with 
regard to the nature and functions of the ordi- 
nances in Christianity, thus speaks: 



40 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"There are no acts of worship or of religion ordained by 
Jesus Christ that are at all to be regarded as outward or 
external bodily acts. 'God is a spirit, and they who wor- 
ship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.' Vocal 
prayer and praise, though they are exercises of the larynx, 
the tongue and the lips; the bending of the knee, or the 
standing erect or falling upon the ground; the eating of 
bread, the drinking of wine or any other exertion of one 
or more or all of our organs, mental or corporeal, are not 
to be regarded as acts of religion except that they are exer- 
cises of the understanding and the heart; and no man of 
any sense pleads for these, as bodily acts, as of any impor- 
tance whatever." 

And again, in his debate with Rice, in 1843, 
he says: 

' 'All outward ordinances {and all ordinances are outward) , 
prayer, praise, the Lord's day, the breaking of the loaf, 
fasting, etc., have each a peculiar grace or intercommunion 
with Christ in them." 

In the former case Mr. Campbell says: "There 
are no outward or external bodily acts in re- 
ligion;" in the latter case he says: "All ordi- 
nances are outward." And yet there is no 
contradiction here. In the former case Mr. C. 
was making the point that ordinances do not 
consist of "outward, bodily acts" merely, but as 
religious ordinances they necessarily involve 
"the exercise of the understanding and the 
heart." In the latter case he spoke with ref- 
erence to the obvious distinction between "that 
which is without" and "that which is within" 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 41 

In Christianity, Notwithstanding there may 
obtain a legitimate, scriptural relation and co- 
operation of the internal and external elements 
of religion, yet the distinction and the differ- 
ence between the outward and the inward can 
never disappear in any intelligent, adequate 
consideration of the subject. 

The Jewish religion was largely external. 
Its forms and ceremonies, beginning with cir- 
cumcision and extending through an elaborate 
system of ablutions, sacrifices, offerings, feasts, 
fasts, holy days, etc., constitute a ponderous 
and burdensome ritual. This religion of the 
Old Testament, lying in great measure without, 
addresses itself chiefly to the physical senses, 
and finds a slow and difficult way through these 
to the spiritual understanding of the people. 
An apostle speaks of the law as "a yoke which 
neither our fathers nor we were able to bear, ' ' 
and exhorts his Jewish brethren not to become 
again "entangled with the yoke of bondage." 
Christ, he says, became u the end of the law," 
"blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that 
was against us, which was contrary to us, and 
took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross." 

While Judaism and Christianity are related, 
while the former was preparatory to the latter, 
and the latter was the outgrowth of the former, 
yet they present a striking contrast on the 



42 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

point we are now considering — the external and 
the internal elements of religion. While Christ 
was a Jew, born under the law, was himself 
circumcised and conformed to the institutions 
of Moses with strict fidelity, yet he was sent to 
lead men out of Judaism and away from its 
cumbersome rites and formal worship. The 
yoke which an apostle said "neither our fathers 
nor we were able to bear," the Son of God re- 
placed with his own, saying: "My yoke is easy 
and my burden is light." But what a mighty 
task was laid upon the Savior! To lift a nation 
above their own convictions, their own cher- 
ished ideas, their own religion, recognized, 
authorized and established by signs and won- 
ders from God through Moses; to "break down 
the middle wall of partition" between the 
Jews and the Gentiles, and "of twain make one 
new man;" to respect and observe the religion 
of Moses, and yet to make men see that it was 
but "a figure for the time then present, in 
which were offered both gifts and sacrifices 
that could not make him that did the service 
perfect as pertaining to the conscience; which 
stood only in meats and drinks and divers wash- 
ings and carnal ordinances, imposed on them 
until the time of reformation" — what a mighty 
task was his! It was his attempt to accom- 
plish this that brought him to the cross and the 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 43 

crucifixion. But his death in turn became the 
means and the signal of victory. The religion 
of Christ was established. And how simple! 
As we read the New Testament record concern- 
ing the early church we are impressed that a 
remarkable revolution has been wrought. 

"Then they that gladly received his word 
were baptized; and the same day there were 
added unto them about three thousand souls. 
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' 
doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of 
bread and in prayers." 

The simplicity of Christianity is one of its 
attractive and striking peculiarities. The two 
ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, 
are all that we have in the way of specific, ex- 
ternal forms in the Church of Christ. And 
each of these is a beautiful symbol of the great 
•fundamental facts of our holy religion. "We 
are buried with Christ in baptism, wherein also 
we are risen with him through faith in the 
operation of God, who hath raised him from 
the dead." And through the bread and the 
wine of the eucharist we "discern" his broken 
body and shed blood — the atoning sacrifice of 
the I,amb of God. The veil has been taken 
away. The dominant ritualism of the old na- 
tional religion of the Jews has been supplanted 
by the dominant individualism of Christianity. 






44 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

The growth of religious thought and civiliza- 
tion brought in the "fullness of time," when 
the spiritual childhood of mankind was to be 
superseded by a more spiritual manhood; when 
men could read without spelling their way 
through the obstructing rites and ordinances of 
the religious primer; when "that which is 
within" should be in the ascendency, and "that 
which is without" should be subordinate and 
subservient. Let us not be too sanguine, how- 
ever. The passage from childhood to manhood 
has always been beset with weakness and 
temptations and difficulties. While it is de- 
lightful to contemplate the development of 
Christianity out of Judaism under the divine 
guidance of the great Master and his inspired 
apostles, while the transformation is made, not 
without a struggle for supremacy on both sides, 
but yet is made and stands conspicuous as the 
most brilliant achievement in history, still the 
enraptured vision is scarcely realized until the 
tide of the world's onward movement is arrested 
and begins to recede again in the direction of 
the supremacy of external forms in worship. 
The spiritual pendulum that swung out from 
the grosser forms of the Jewish religion into a 
new-born Christianity now swings back into 
Roman Catholicism, a form of religious thought 
and life but little less eross in its outward 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 45 

formalism and but little more spiritual in its 
inward nature than Judaism. 

These brief sentences cover a period of fifteen 
hundred years of the world's history. The 
Reformation of the sixteenth century, inspired 
chiefly by Martin Luther, was a protest against 
the corruptions of Romanism. The material- 
istic, sensualistic and ritualistic elements of 
religion and of the church had become the 
dominant power with the people again. Vital 
Christianity as a spiritual force in the hearts of 
men had ceased to reign. A fearful moral and 
religious degeneracy spread over society and 
covered the world. At this juncture Protestant- 
ism was born, and again the pendulum began 
its slow swing back toward a more spiritual 
and a less formal Christianity. Lutheranism, 
Calvinism, Kpiscopalianism and Methodism 
mark the progress of its way. With the ad- 
vent of the Wesleys and Methodism came a 
high tide of spiritual power. A more intense 
spiritual life was the one great aim of John 
Wesley. The cold formalism of the Church of 
England, in his view, was but a galvanized 
.Christianity. Without intending to cut loose 
from the church of his childhood, he sought to 
reform it, to infuse into it a larger measure of 
spirituality. His efforts and his enthusiasm in 
this direction found a response in the hearts of 



46 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

men; and his following became so great and so 
strong that in spite of himself Methodism be- 
came a separate and distinct organization in the 
religions world. So intent on the one idea of 
the enlargement of "the kingdom within you," 
he and his coadjutors failed to give attention to 
existing errors and partial forms of truth in the 
external elements of the church he was seeking 
to reform. 

This fervid religious enthusiasm of Method- 
ism diffused itself over other religious bodies in 
this country, and there followed it the same 
tendency to neglect the proper scriptural adjust- 
ment of "that which is without" and "that 
which is within," in their administration of 
the affairs of the kingdom of God. It is thus 
w 7 e rind epochs in religious history, epochs of 
extremes in one direction or the other, extremes 
in formalities to the neglect of spirituality, ex- 
tremes in devotion to spirituality to the neglect 
of the sacred ordinances and appointments of 
God. 

In the early part of the nineteenth century a 
plea was made before the world for a return to 
Apostolic Christianity — for the restoration to 
the Church of Christ of the religion of the New 
Testament, in letter and in spirit, in form and 
in substance. Back to Christ and the apostles 
and primitive Christianity, pure and simple, in 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 47 

form and in reality, was the unique plea made 
before the world by the Campbells, Thomas and 
Alexander. Reconstruction after the divine 
model, a wise and scriptural adjustment of all 
the elements of Christianity, the externals with- 
out abatement or enlargement, the internals 
without increase or diminution, was the rally- 
ing cry of our fathers. 

The work of reconstruction and restoration 
of primitive Christianity according to the divine 
pattern meant a mighty battle with the giants 
of error, and called for great wisdom and 
strength on the part of those who would achieve 
such a result. Never were these qualities more 
happily blended in men than in Thomas and 
Alexander Campbell. We limit the discussion 
of this subject, however, for the present, to the 
topic before us — the outward and the inward 
elements of religion. What was needed in 
their view in order to a proper reconstruction? 
Those familiar with the history and writings of 
Alexander Campbell know that his chief object 
was to restore the Word of God to its rightful 
authority, and to restore the ordinances of re- 
ligion to their rightful position in the church, 
and thus lay a foundation for Christian union. 
This he proposed without any abatement of spir- 
itual power or vital piety among Christians. 
Alexander Campbell was an intensely religious 






48 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

man himself. He was well-balanced, self -poised 
and a good all-round man. He labored to bring 
the Church of Christ to the same sort of equi- 
poise. Speaking of his own efforts in this 
direction, in 1842, he says: 

"Allow me, then, to say that the three great topics which 
have occupied public attention for some twenty-five years, 
so far as our proposed reformation is concerned, are: 1st. 
The ordinances of Christianity; 2nd. The essential ele- 
ments of the Gospel itself; 3rd. The influence of human 
creeds as sources of alienation, schism and partyism in the 
church." 

And again, in his debate with Rice in 1843, 
he says: 

"The present century is really retrograding in the under- 
standing and veneration of the ordinances, both of the 
communion and of the rite of initiation. America is be- 
hind the age, behind Christendom, on this subject." 

It is plain to see, from his own declarations, 
what Mr. Campbell was laboring to achieve. 
But may we not wisely raise the question here, 
whether in this effort on our part to restore the 
external elements of Christianity to their proper 
scriptural position, the pendulum may not have 
swung too far again in that direction? Has 
history even partially repeated itself here? 
That in some instances and in some measure 
this is true, it is probably wise and manly to 
concede. It is so easy and tempting to unload 
the heart's responsibilities upon outward acts of 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 49 

personal obedience, and thus to be satisfied 
with a superficial religion! And then men are 
differently organized. While some have a 
natural tendency to subjective thought, others 
are decidedly objective in their nature and hab- 
its. A preacher with great heart-power will 
develop his church in that direction, while a 
preacher of a legalistic cast of mind will have a 
formal church. There is a necessity for every 
one to strive for a full, all-round view of Chris- 
tian life and character. 

Even inspiration did not divest the apostles 
of their idiosyncrasies. Matthew and John 
present in their Gospels a remarkable contrast 
in this respect. Matthew is objective. The 
parables of the Savior, drawn from the material 
things around him in the natural and social 
world, are all gathered up and carefully recorded 
by Matthew, while John passes these all by un- 
noticed. But those marvelous lessons of the 
Son of God pertaining to the inner life, which 
Matthew overlooks, he is careful to record. For 
example, his conversation with the woman at 
the well: "Whosoever drinketh of the water 
that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the 
water that I shall give shall be in him a well of 
water springing up to everlasting life," etc. 
And again: "The bread of God is he which 

cometh down from heaven and giveth life 
4 



50 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

unto the world. I am the bread of life; he 
that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he 
that believeth on me shall never thirst." This 
same diversity in taste is seen in these two in- 
spired writers in the prayers they are pleased to 
record and preserve. What is usually called 
the Lord's Prayer, which looks to the practical 
things of every-day life, Matthew treasures up, 
while John gives us the real Lord's Prayer in 
the 17th chapter of his Gospel, in which we 
have an unparalleled outpouring of divine 
thought and feeling from the great, burdened 
heart of the Savior of men: " Father, the hour 
is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also 
may glorify thee," etc. 

In recording the commission, that great am- 
nesty proclamation, we observe the same differ- 
ence in style. Matthew gives it thus: "All 
authority is given unto me in heaven and in 
earth. Go ye, therefore, and disciple all nations, 
baptizing them into the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
commanded you." That has a decidedly legal- 
istic ring. It is like Matthew. John, record- 
ing the same incident in the life of Christ, 
breathes it out gently, thus: "Peace be unto 
you; as my Father hath sent me, even so send 
I you. And he breathed on them and said, 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 51 

Receive ye the Holy Spirit; whosesoever sins 
you remit they are remitted unto them, and 
whosesoever sins you retain they are retained." 

Even in their introductions to their Gospels 
they maintain this contrast. Matthew begins: 
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, 
the Son of David, the Son of Abraham," etc. 
This is the outward, human genealogy. John 
begins on this wise: "In the beginning was 
the Word, and the Word was with God, and 
the Word was God." 

Every writer of the New Testament, although 
inspired by the same Spirit, retains his own in- 
dividuality, his own mental characteristics. 
The contrast is perhaps not so apparent be- 
tween any others as has appeared in the in- 
stances cited. The man of broadest views, the 
one who could see both sides of his religion 
with quickest perception, and who could esti- 
mate their relative and comparative importance 
with greatest ease, and who presented them in 
their due proportion in boldest outline, was the 
Apostle Paul. Without his development of the 
subject our inspired religious literature would 
be incomplete, as it appears to me. As a 
thinker and expounder of religion, Paul stands 
nearest to the divine Master. And with both 
of them the life "within" is the great essential, 
and yet the life "without" is held with due 
emphasis and importance. 



52 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

When brethren find themselves differing over 
matters along the line we are now considering, 
may they not each conclude that this grows 
largely out of their own peculiar mental bias, 
and thus be stimulated to an effort for broader 
views of the subject? 

It was the Savior's chief aim to set men right 
4 'within," to "make the tree good," that the 
"fruit might be good," to cleanse the heart by 
planting faith in it. All his blessings were 
conditioned on that. "According to yowx faith 
so be it unto you." He knew the power of a 
living faith, an unreserved trust of the soul in 
Christ, to make a new spiritual creature of 
man. And the Apostle Paul pleads, evermore, 
for the same great principle. "With the heart 
man believeth unto righteousness." And 
again he says: "He is not a Jew which is one 
outwardly; neither is that circumcision which 
is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which 
is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the 
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose 
praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2:28). 

In the Millennial Harbinger ■, February, 1851, 
Mr. Campbell writes an article on "Christianity 
Experienced and Enjoyed." In this article he 
labors to lead his brethren away from superficial 
views of religion, and to open a fountain of 
spiritual life within them. He quotes from a 



WITHOUT AND WITHIN 53 

contemporary the following sentence: "If I 
have taken ten thousand dollars of stock in 
banks, and an equal amount in railroad shares, 
may I not risk a thousand or two dollars in 
church rates and my Sundays to meeting, on 
the more than equal probability that there is a 
heaven to gain and a hell to escape?" And he 
then adds: "In some such way as this and 
upon the same peradventure that it may all be 
true and right, it is to be feared many make the 
Christian profession. ' ' Mr. Campbell closes his 
article in these words : 

"Advancing in Christian knowledge, faith, hope, love, 
joy and peace — celestial fruits of the Holy Ghost dwelling 
in us — we rise in beauty, holiness and happiness. The 
path of life is, then, the path of peace, holiness and happi- 
ness. In this path may the Spirit of God guide us, the 
hand of Jehovah lead us from glory to glory now, hence- 
forth and forever. Amen!" 

While, then, Mr. Campbell saw clearly that 
the ordinances of Christianity were obscured 
and had lost their original significance and 
value in the religious thought and practices of 
his day; and while he was striving to reinstate 
them in their true scriptural import and impor- 
tance, yet he fully understood, justly appre- 
ciated and boldly proclaimed the spiritual side 
of the gospel as essential to Christian life and 
enjoyment. 



III. 

THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT. 

The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life (2 
Cor. 3:6). What does that mean? It is a 
strong antithetical sentence, a bold declaration 
of thought. Whatever differences may obtain 
among scholars as to the details of their ex- 
egeses of that Scripture; however various their 
critical views of its letter, there is a general 
agreement as to the spirit of the passage. On 
all hands it is held that "the letter killeth % but 
the spirit giveth life. ' ' 

Every law, every ordinance and every insti- 
tution has its letter and its spirit. Nor may 
these distinct parts be lost sight of or confused 
and identified. That they were two separate 
and distinct things in the mind of Paul is made 
clear in the fact that he says the one "kills" 
and the other gives "life." The difference be- 
tween the form and the substance, the expres- 
sion and the essence of a thing is generally 
conceded. A word is said to be the sign of an 
idea, but are the word and the idea the same 
thing? Ideas existed before words, and words 
were formed as a means of transferring ideas 

from one mind to another. In this case the 
(54) 



THE LKTT3R AND THE) SPIRIT 55 

word is the "letter" and trie idea is trie 
1 'spirit." To listen to a flow of words that 
convey to us no ideas is a punishment, and 
tends to confusion and mental death; while 
words that do convey to us thought are a stim- 
ulus to the mind, and tend to enlarge its vital- 
ity, its capacity and its power. A written law 
is an assemblage of words, an association of 
ideas and an expression of thought. The writ- 
ten form is the "letter" of the law, the inten- 
tion of the lawmaker is the "spirit" of the law. 
But is the thought of the law-giver always 
adequately set forth in the written form of the 
law? If so, why these contests in courts over 
legal technicalities? And why these appeals to 
higher courts for a better interpretation and 
construction of the law? The letter of a law 
is what it says; the spirit of a law is what it 
means. But the law does not always mean what 
it says. "Six days shalt thou labor." Does it 
mean just what it says, or does it mean that what 
labor is performed must not be done on the 
Sabbath, but within the six working days? 
"Thou shalt not kill." If that means just what 
it says, then it is wrong to deprive an animal 
of life, to cut down a living tree or to pluck a 
flower. The meaning of this law, however, is 
evidently to interdict murder, as usually defined 
in our statutes. "He that believeth not shall be 



56 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE) OF OUR PUEA 

damned." Construe that literally and every 
infant, and idiot and pagan is doomed to end- 
less condemnation. But the law does not 
always mean what it says. 

Nor does it always say what it means: "Thou 
shalt make no graven image of anything in 
heaven or on earth." Abide by the letter and 
this interdicts art, as Mr. Ingersoll contended 
it does. In spite of this, however, Moses was 
instructed to make two cherubim and place 
them on the mercy seat in the tabernacle. 
While this was a violation of the letter of the 
law, yet it was not of its spirit. The law was 
intended as an inhibition of idol images. 
Hence, when the golden calf was made and 
set up in the camp of Israel as an object of 
worship, both the letter and the meaning of the 
law were infracted, and the divine wrath in- 
curred. 

'•''Bear ye one another's burdens." "Every 
man shall bear his own burden." Here are 
two injunctions of the Apostle Paul, couched 
close together in the same chapter. Construed 
literally they are contradictory in their teach- 
ings. When we "read between the lines,' ' 
however, as we sometimes say, we are brought 
into touch with the spirit of the two texts and 
all trace of inconsistency disappears. "Bear 
ye one another's burdens," in Christian sym- 



THK LETTKR AND THE} SPIRIT 57 

pathy and fellowship; and "every man shall 
bear his own burden," of responsibility and 
accountability unto God, are each alike essen- 
tial and fundamental principles of our holy 
religion. 

What fantastic capers preachers do cut some- 
times in their interpretations of Scripture, 
4 'playing hide-and-seek" between the letter 
and the spirit of the Word of God. When it 
suits a man's preconceived theory of any point 
in religious doctrine to construe a given text 
literally, the most easy and natural thing in the 
world for him to do is to stand by the letter of 
the law. When, however, the letter makes 
against his notions, he sees the wisdom of not 
being a literalist, but rather with a broad and 
liberal view he seeks to go beyond and behind 
the letter in quest of the meaning of the pas- 
sage. And thus often the same text is con- 
strued literally by one theologian, and figura- 
tively by another. What battles have been 
fought, what tournaments, what windmill feats 
have been exhibited in the valley that lies be- 
tween the letter and the spirit of God's holy 
Word! And is there not some reason why this 
condition of things should obtain? While it is 
true that the law does not always say what it 
means, and does not always mean what it says, 
is it not true that sometimes the letter and the 



58 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

spirit of the law are commensurate with each 
other? Are there not instances in which the 
letter and the spirit, the form and the essence, 
the expression and the meaning so exactly co- 
incide that there is left no ground for conten- 
tion, no battlefield for theological pugilists? 
Possibly so. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God." "He commandeth all men everywhere 
to repent." "The Judge of all the earth will 
do right." Such declarations as these will 
perhaps be generally if not universally accepted 
at their face value. The necessity for pene- 
trating beneath the surface of the outward 
form to ascertain the inward meaning of such 
passages of Scripture appears to be well-nigh 
eliminated — certainly it is reduced to a mini- 
mum. 

It is safe to say that a habitual tendency to 
literalism, to literal constructions and interpre- 
tations of Scripture, is a dwarfing process; 
while a habitual tendency to interpret and live 
according to the spirit of the inspired writings 
has the effect to enlarge our spiritual nature 
and enjoyment. 

''''Pray without ceasing" says the apostle. 
And yet the Pharisee may stand upon the 
street corner, or the hermit may kneel in his 
cave and repeat his prayers until he dies of ex- 
haustion, without understanding or obeying the 



THE BETTER AND THE SPIRIT 59 

injunction, "Pray without ceasing" — -cultivate 
a prayerful spirit; lead a prayerful life. 

11 He that confess eth me before men, him will 
I confess before my Father in heavens' 1 What 
a depth of pathos in the true significance of 
this lesson; but how easy to stand before the 
great congregation and " confess with the 
mouth" without any adequate appreciation or 
appropriation of the mighty truth: "Thou art 
the Christ, the Son of the living God." 
"In vain do you worship me with your lips 
when the heart is far from me." "Not every 
one that saith unto me, L,ord, L,ord, shall enter 
into the kingdom of heaven." 

u He that believeth and is baptised shall be 
saved." How brief these words; how compre- 
hensive their import; how profound their sig- 
nificance; and yet, how flippant the manner in 
which they are sometimes preached, accepted 
and dispensed! Faith, we say, is the "belief 
of testimony." "If you believe the historical 
facts that George Washington lived and 
wrought and died, can you not believe the his- 
torical facts that Jesus lived and wrought and 
died and arose from the dead?" In this super- 
ficial way the superficial preacher often pro- 
claims what he calls the gospel. "Yes," says 
the unsophisticated hearer, "I have always be- 
lieved those facts of history." "Then," says 



60 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

the preacher, "you have faith; come along 
and be baptized, and be saved; the Savior says: 
^He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved /' take him at his word; obey and claim 
the promise." u But I don't feel like it now," 
says the honest man. " Don' tfeel like it!" ex- 
claims the preacher. "You must not be gov- 
erned by feelings — feelings are no evidence of 
pardon or acceptance with God." 

Gentle reader, did you ever hear a preacher 
talk that way? What a caricature of the gos- 
pel! What a travesty on religion! And then 
again he says: "Repentance simply means a 
change of mind — a reformation of life. You 
changed your mind once and joined the temper- 
ance society and reformed your habits of dissi- 
pation; now change your mind about religion 
and join the church and reform all your bad 
habits." But the honest sinner replies: "I 
don't feel like it." What a revelation there is 
in that honest man's remark: "I don't feel 
like it!" That man understands Christianity 
better than that preacher. He thinks religion 
ought, somehow, to embrace the heart, the 
emotional and affectional nature; that he ought 
to "feel" on the subject. And he realizes that 
there is nothing in abstract historical facts to 
move his soul. He cannot love facts, nor can 
facts love or save him. He can love a person 



THB I^ETTKR. AND THK SPIRIT 61 

and a person can love him; and a person only 
can save him — can forgive his sins, can guide 
his life, comfort him in sorrow, raise him from 
the dead, and show him the way to heaven and 
crown him with immortality and endless felic- 
ity. The man is "feeling after God, if per- 
haps he may find him;" while the blind 
preacher is leading him into the ditch of false 
views of religion into which he himself has 
fallen. Salvation is a personal matter, and 
must be wrought out by a personal Savior 
through the heart and life of the personal simzer. 
Faith in Christ Jesus as the real, living, 
thinking, reigning, loving, "strong Son of 
God," moves the heart from center to circum- 
ference, and stirs the feelings to their profound- 
est depths. Faith in abstract facts of history 
has no such power. We love a person and 
admire things. And "we love him because he 
first loved us." Can a man love without feel- 
ing? Can a man believe on the blessed Savior 
of sinners without feeling? "With the heart 
man believeth." "Now faith is the assurance 
of things hoped for, the conviction of things 
not seen." The facts of history are important, 
they serve a purpose. They lead us to the 
"Christ of history," the mighty Redeemer of 
men, before whom we bow and worship, and in 
whom we trust. This is the "faith that work- 



62 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

eth by love," and that "purifieth the heart." 
Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians, speaks of 
the "joy of faith," and we read of the early 
converts who "rejoiced, believing in God." 
And in his epistle to the saints in Rome, Paul 
writes: "Now the God of hope fill you with 
all joy and peace in believing;" and the 
Apostle Peter says: "Yet, believing, ye rejoice 
with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 

And what is repentance? Simply a "change 
of mind," did you say? A change of mind 
about what? About yourself as a sinner against 
the almighty and eternal God. Your view of 
self has changed. Your view of sin has 
changed. Your view of God has changed. 
Your view of the Christ has changed. Your 
views of life, of responsibility, of duty and 
destiny — all have changed. No "feeling" in 
all this? "Repentance from dead works." 
What does that mean? A "change of mind" 
from "dead works to serve the living God" cer- 
tainly dips deep enough to root itself in the 
emotional nature of man. "Repentance unto 
life." Does not that imply amoral revolution, 
a change of the inner man, a change of state, 
of spiritual condition? 

"The goodness of God leadeth thee to re- 
pentance." Can a man contemplate the amaz- 
ing goodness of God as seen in his providences 



THE IvKTTBR AND THK SPIRIT 63 

every day, as set forth in the incarnation of his 
Son, in his earnest teachings of divine truth, 
in his submission to human violence and cruel- 
ty, in his sorrow and humiliation, in the pa- 
thetic and plaintive utterance in Gethsemane, 
"My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto 
death;" in the wild and piercing agony of the 
cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou for- 
saken me?" — can such influences lead him to 
repentance, and yet his heart not be enlisted, 
his feelings unmoved? 

"Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto sal- 
vation," says Paul. Is this possible without 
the soul's richest libations being poured out be- 
fore the Heavenly Father? 

We hold, then, that "repentance toward God 
and faith in our Iyord Jesus Christ" are such 
subjective moral forces as strike their roots into 
the very innermost vital parts of man's spirit- 
ual being. They involve the rarest treasures 
of feeling known to human experience; the 
most potent energies and activities within the 
domain of human consciousness. 

We confess to an admiration for the honest 
sinner when he says : "I don' tfeel like it now. ' ' 
Let him alone; he is not fit for baptism; it 
would be a solemn mockery in his case. Do 
you tell me that all he lacks is "obedience"? 
If you mean obedience to the call, "My son, 



64 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

give me thy heart," we say, Amen! But if 
you mean "obedience in baptism" or any other 
outward act, we protest, and declare such 
"obedience" impossible. When it is said: 
"Many of the people believed on Christ, yet 
they would not confess him for fear of the Phar- 
isees; for they loved the praise of men more 
than the praise of God," do you tell me that 
all they lacked was "obedience"? What they 
lacked was faith — the hearfs trust in Jesus 
Christ; with this, obedience would naturally 
follow. "The devils believe and tremble." 
What do they lack? "Obedience"? Away 
with it! They lack moral character, spiritual 
discernment and loyalty of heart. 

"According to thy faith, so be it unto thee," 
is a principle of universal application in spir- 
itual life. "Except a man be born again, he 
cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is 
born of God." Passages like these discover to 
us the subjective nature and power of faith — a 
personal faith in a personal Christ. It was 
views like these that obtruded themselves into 
the mind of that honest sinner who, when the 
preacher would have led him into a superficial 
profession of faith in the gospel, faltered and 
wisely observed: "I do not feel like it now." 
A heartfelt trust in Christ is one of the condi- 



THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT 65 

tions of our acceptance with God. Hence, 
" feeling" maybe reckoned one of the condi- 
tions of pardon. Even faith and repentance, 
then, have their "letter and spirit," their 
technical and scriptural import. 

Christianity contemplates a life of faith as 
well as the original converting act of believing. 
"With the heart manbelieveth (eis) into right- 
eousness, ' ' into Christ, "our righteousness. ' ' But 
this believing heart continues with him. His 
faith becomes a living faith, and his life a life of 
faith, a life of feeling. "I have been crucified 
with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but 
Christ liveth in me; and that life which I now 
live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which 
is in the Son of God, who loved me and gave 
himself up for me." His repentance, too, is 
continuous, a constant penitent, feeling life. 
"I indeed baptize you in water (eis) into re- 
pentance" — a life of repentance, said John the 
Baptist — a life of continual feeling of peniten- 
tial unworthiness before God. Again, Mark 
says: "John came, who preached in the wil- 
derness and preached the baptism of repent- 
ance (eis) into remission of sins" — into a state 
and life where remission is obtained and always 
obtainable. And it is declared that "God 
granted to the Gentiles, also, repentance (eis) 

into life" — into a new moral state and relation- 

5 



66 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ship. What a splendid conception, then, that 
onr faith and our repentance — our trust in 
Christ and our distrust in self — may become a 
life, " a life hid with Christ in God;" and that 
"when Christ who is our life shall be mani- 
fested, then shall we also with him be mani- 
fested in glory." 

What a startling contrast these thoughts pre- 
sent with the cold formality of many professing 
Christians — many church members, church- 
goers. The "letter" and the "spirit" are not 
more manifest anywhere, their difference not 
more pronounced anywhere, than in the lives 
of Christian men — their everyday lives as seen 
socially, commercially, civilly or politically; 
and their Sunday lives, as they meet and wor- 
ship in the house of the Lord. As it is the 
purpose in this volume to set forth the spiritual 
side of our plea, not only in the light of the 
New Testament Scriptures, but also in the 
light of the teachings of our fathers, this chap- 
ter on "The Letter and the Spirit" will be 
closed by some extracts from the gifted pen of 
our honored and lamented W. K. Pendleton, 
taken from the Millennial Ha7'binge7 r of Janu- 
ary, 1851: 

"There is doubtless a great deal of ignorance among pro- 
fessors as to what constitutes a life of faith; and thousands, 
we fear there are, who have no higher conception of it than 



THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT 67 

to think that it consists in looking back to the fact that 
they were, years past,, baptized for the remission of sins. 
But this is almost as great a delusion as that which rests its 
hope upon the dim recollection of some far-off dream or 
vision of a distempered brain. There are some who seem 
to be, indeed, pretty well trained in the catechism on this 
point, and who will tell us with a great deal of flippancy 
that it is to believe what God says, and to do what he bids 
us, yet they give no evidence of a true spiritual life; they 
have indeed, the form of godliness without the power there- 
of. . . . Their life of faith is the dry bones, the skele- 
ton, of works; the flesh and life of the truly spiritual man 
are "wanting. Their religion is a task, undertaken, per- 
haps, with a sense of duty, or it may be only a hope of 
reward, and prosecuted without one realizing emotion of 
the presence of the Spirit in the heart. There is no 
warmth, no fervor, no enjoyment, no responsive inward 
experience that God is with us and in us, testifying to the 
consciousness that they are the children of God. 

"May we not hope to be understood when we say that no 
man can enjoy God without knowing it; that in the true 
and literal sense of the term every real Christian can say: 
'I know that my Redeemer liveth;' that there is with all 
such a testimony of experience in spiritual union and com- 
munion that is as certain knowledge to the consciousness 
of him who enjoys it as the knowledge which we derive by 
our senses from contact with material nature; that we do 
not more surely know that we are in contact with the 
objects of sense when they impress us through their appro- 
priate organs than we do that we are in union and connec- 
tion with the great spring and fountain of our spiritual life, 
when in prayer and devotion fervent the Spirit of God 
broods upon our spirits, making us feel in harmony with 
itself, and awaking in us kindred sympathies and emo- 
tions? Nor in saying this do we affirm anything more diffi- 
cult to believe than that God does now and always hold 
connection with and control our nature. 



68 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"We are startled at the bold skepticism that would 
reduce the universe to the analogy of a clock, wound up 
for a six thousand years' run and then left by its Maker to 
the movements and regulations of its own machinery; we 
shrink back with a shudder at the atheistic refinement 
which reduces organization, motion and life to the primor- 
dial necessities of nature — the inherent and eternal laws of 
atomic attractions; we revolt at the idea that God is not in 
the universe and preserving it with a prescience that allows 
not even a sparrow to fall unnoticed — a power that poises 
in perfect harmony its vast and unnumbered parts, and a 
ubiquity which baffles even our imagination to conceive of 
the space where his presence is not always manifest; yet, 
whilst we are thus enlightened with respect to the material 
universe, how many there are who are so spiritually dark 
as to run into a precisely similar skepticism and atheism 
when the phenomena of the spiritual system are to be 
accounted for! Here they are willing to concede, indeed, 
that there is, in fact, no present God. Here they can admit 
that nothing exists but machinery; that in respect to our 
spiritual nature we are left altogether to the cold appli- 
ances of secondary means, and there is around our inner 
man a material case which is impenetrable, even to the 
Spirit of God, and which forever isolates us from such 
spiritual union and communion with that Spirit as may be 
felt, and become as much the subject of knowledge as the 
presence of the hand we love, or the vibration of the voice 
we^revere. 

"Now it is perhaps on this point more than any other 
in the religious experience of the day that there is a 
want of faith. . . . It is in this that Christian experi- 
ence consists, and we may add, this is the highest attain- 
ment of Christian enjoyment. But how far short of this 
does the dry formalist come! He may look to the cata- 
logue of duties, counting over the works of the day, as the 
papist does his beads, compare his conduct with the stand- 
ard to which he acknowledges it to be his duty to con- 



THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT 69 

form. ... In all this there may have been a total 
absence of all communion with God; no spiritual inter- 
change between the spirit of the man and the Holy Spirit; 
no realization of a restored union and harmony between 
the Creator and the creature; and an absence, altogether, 
of the knowledge of salvation." 

These strong, lucid and eloquent utterances 
indicate very clearly that our fathers did not, 
as many of their children do, live in the mere 
letter of Christianity, but in the spirit as well. 
A restoration of original, apostolic Christianity, 
"in letter and in spirit," was their motto. 



IV. 
THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 

Compacts and covenants of importance, gen- 
erally, if not universally, have their real and 
formal aspects, their essence of meaning and 
their ritnal expression. This fact appears with 
equal prominence in social, commercial, civil 
and religious life. The real is essential to the 
validity of the formal; the formal is useful and 
helpful to the real, to its practical adaptation 
and efficiency. The formal is important; the 
real is always the more important. The 
thoughts of my mind at present constitute the 
real; this writing is the formal expression of 
them. Without the thoughts this writing could 
not be executed; without this writing the reader 
would not perceive the thoughts. The thoughts 
inspire the written expression; the written ex- 
pression stimulates and intensifies my thoughts. 

The real and the formal thus act and react 
upon each other. There is a sense in which 
they are supplements, complements and coun- 
terparts of each other. 

In the marriage compact this principle is 
seen and felt. It obtains here conspicuously. 

Through mutual acquaintance, admiration and 

(70) 



THE RKAI. AND THE} FORMAL 71 

affection two hearts are united and cemented 
together. They plight to each other their faith 
and love. They assume to each other the 
solemn vows of agreement and engagement of 
marriage. This is the real; all else is formal. 
With this heart-experience there comes a change 
over the views and feelings of the parties. The 
world is not now the same to them. They feel 
differently toward each other. They feel dif- 
ferently toward other people, toward society. 
They feel differently toward self. There is a 
transition, a transformation of mind, of heart, 
of life. They realize that they are, in fact, 
parts of each other, that they are one. Were 
it not for others there would be no need of a 
marriage ceremony. In the case of Adam and 
Eve I suppose there were no nuptial rites, on 
necessity for them. When society grew up it 
became necessary for the protection of society 
and of the parties to the marriage compact that 
the law should interpose a ceremony to regulate 
marriage. The rite of matrimony, however, is 
only a formal thing. The real marriage is in 
the heart and must actually exist before the 
ceremony, or else the ceremony is worse than 
mere form; it is a sham. 

Two men decide to enter into partnership 
for the transaction of business. They first see 
eye to eye in the way of a clear understanding 






72 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

with each other. They repose confidence in 
one another and come to an agreement concern- 
ing the business. This is the real thing. But 
for mutual protection against untoward acci- 
dents and influences they commit this agree- 
ment to writing. This is the formal act. 

A purchases of B a piece of property valued 
at Si 0,000. Their negotiations are all carefully 
gone over, every point clearly understood, a 
full agreement reached. An earnest of $1,000 
is paid down. This is the real transaction. 
On the morrow they meet for the formal execu- 
tion of the agreements and contracts of to-day. 
A deed is drawn up reciting the terms of the 
contract; it is signed, sealed and delivered, and 
a check is given for the balance of the purchase 
money. And as a notice to the public of this 
change and transfer in the rights of property 
this deed is filed in the office of record. The 
formalities answering to the real transaction 
are now completed. 

The American people cast their ballots for 
president. A B receives a majority of the votes. 
This is the voice of the people. The vote is 
counted and the result announced. All under- 
stand the question is settled. This is the real 
thing. At the proper time the president-elect 
takes the oath of office and enters upon the dis- 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 73 

charge of his duties. This is the formal part 
of the proceedings. 

America opens wide her portals to immi- 
grants. The worthy foreigner is received with 
extended arms of national hospitality. He 
enters at once into the privileges of social and 
business life. He buys and sells, gets gain 
and -builds him a home. Our courts protect 
him. Our schools and our churches are open 
to him and his family. He often outstrips 
the native in business, in learning and in pop- 
ularity. In all the essential elements of life 
and its enjoyments he is really an American 
citizen. But there are limitations. For wise 
reasons it has been deemed safe and expedi- 
ent to hold in abeyance his privileges of voting 
and holding office until he becomes formally 
naturalized. This is the formal thing. With 
this exception he has been a full-fledged citi- 
zen from the start. He came with his mind 
and his heart panting after the liberties, the 
opportunities and the possibilities of America. 
He found them and entered at once into their 
possession and enjoyment. This was the real 
thing. 

A man traduces my character, slanders me in 
a way that demands vindication. I enter com- 
plaint and file suit against him in the court 
having jurisdiction. In the meanwhile the 



74 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

party becomes sensible of his mistake and the 
great wrong he has done me. He comes to me 
with explanations and apologies ample and sat- 
isfactory. I accept the amends which he makes 
and forgive him. This settles the matter be- 
tween us in a personal way. I am assured of 
his repentance, which changes his moral state. 
He is assured of my forgiveness, which changes 
our moral relations to each other. But this 
is not all there is of it. We are members of 
the same society, of the same government. 
Others know of this matter, and there are rela- 
tions we both sustain to the public. I have a 
suit in law pending in court against this man. 
He has not only wronged me personally, but he 
has violated the law. And this forgiveness 
that I have extended to him personally is 
not the forgiveness of law. I go before the 
court, make explanations and dismiss the suit. 
This is my legal, formal forgiveness. Our re- 
lations in law are now changed. Moral state 
and relations are first changed, then the legal 
state and relations are changed. 

Let us now study this lesson in the light of 
God's nature and character as presented to us 
by the Savior in the parable of the Prodigal 
Son. The literature of the world has nothing 
on this subject equal to this beautiful story. It 
was given by our Lord purposely to convey to 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 75 

man an adequate idea of the nature of sin and 
of repentance, and the forgiveness of our Heav- 
enly Father. The younger son grew wayward 
and left home, going into a far country, where 
he spent his substance and came to dire want. 
In his extremity he "came to himself." Every 
sinful life has its luminous hours! He remem- 
bered the home from which he had wandered. 
"I will arise," he said, "and go to my father." 
And he arose and went. What a picture of 
repentance! "But while he was yet afar off 
his father saw him and he was moved to com- 
passion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed 
him." Forgiveness, what forgiveness! Oh, 
what a father! He did not wait for a confession, 
for baptism, for anything. When he saw the 
son was returning, was penitent, that was 
enough. His own heart was ^moved with com- 
passion and he ran aitd fell on his neck and 
kissed him." 

This is the "real" in forgiveness of sin. The 
"formal" is yet to come. It comes afterwards! 
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and in 
thy sight" — the confession. "Bring forth 
quickly the best robe and put it on him; and 
put a ring on his hand and shoes on his 
feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and 
let us eat and make merry." The formal 
reinstatement of the son in the family. He 



76 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

was already reinstated in the father* s heart — 
already forgiven, "really" forgiven. Listen: 
"This, my son, was dead and is alive again; he 
was lost and is found." This is the gospel. 
Hear me: "Repentance toward God and faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ" are the mighty moral 
forces in the human heart that cause the Heav- 
enly Father to be "moved with compassion 
and to run and fall on the neck and kiss" the 
sinner with "real" forgiveness. Then come 
the formalities of confession and baptism and 
reinstatement in the family — the church. 

Let us now place alongside of this parabolic 
illustration of the subject a real case of conver- 
sion and pardon, the most notable instance in 
the New Testament record, that of Saul of 
Tarsus, afterwards the Apostle Paul. Saul was 
a man of great force, of strong intellectual, 
moral and religious character, though not a 
Christian. His mental discipline gave him 
great intellectual strength; his moral training 
led him to "live before God in all good con- 
science," and his religious education as a Jew 
led him to be "zealous toward God," "perse- 
cuting the church." This man, "yet breath- 
ing threatening and slaughter against the dis- 
ciples of the Lord," as he went from Jerusalem 
to Damascus had a remarkable experience, 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 77 

which resulted in his becoming the Apostle 
Paul, that mighty man of history. 

Let us note carefully the facts in his con- 
version : 

1. "Suddenly there shone roundabout him 
a light out of heaven; and he fell upon the 
earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, 
Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, 
Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, 
whom thou persecutest" (Acts 9:3-5). 

Christ, then, first introduces himself to Saul 
in an intelligent way. 

2. "And I said, what shall I do, Lord? 
And the Lord said, Arise and go into Damas- 
cus, and there it shall be told thee of all things 
appointed for thee to do" (Acts 22:10). 

Here is a clear case of self-surrender; of con- 
version of mind, and of will, and of purpose. 

3. "But arise and stand upon thy feet; for 
to this end have I appeared unto thee: to ap- 
point thee a minister and a witness of the 
things wherein thou hast seen me, and of 
the things wherein I will appear to thee" 
(Acts 26:16). 

Not only is Saul converted, but he is selected 
and notified of his apointment as an apostle of 
Jesus Christ: "He is a chosen vessel unto me" 
(Acts 9:15). 

4. "But when it was the good pleasure of 



78 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

God, who separated me, even from my moth- 
er's womb, and called me through his grace to 
reveal his Son in me that I might preach him 
among the Gentiles," etc. (Gal. 1:15). 

Not only is Saul converted in an intelligent 
way — converted in mind and will and purpose, 
not only is he selected and notified of his ap- 
pointment as a minister of the gospel, but he 
says: "It was the good pleasure of God to re- 
veal his Son in me" — a clear, inward, spiritual 
experience. 

5. "And Ananias laying his hands on him 
said, Brother Saul, the L,ord, even Jesus, who 
appeared unto thee in the way, hath sent me 
that thou mayest receive thy sight and be filled 
with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). 

Notice now. Saul is converted, appointed 
to the ministry, the Holy Spirit is given him, 
Christ is revealed in him. Is he still an un- 
pardoned man? Has there been no adjustment 
of moral relations between him and God? Is 
the great heart of the great Father still closed 
against him? Has not God really forgiven 
Saul? Overcome by the presence of Christ, 
fallen to the earth, blind, believing, penitent, 
pleading — "Lord, what shall I do?" — convert- 
ed, appointed to the ministry, receives the Holy 
Spirit, has Christ revealed in him, and yet 
unforgiven! 



THK REAL AND THE FORMAL 79 

But the record does not say that Saul was 
really pardoned before his baptism. No, nor 
does the record say that the baptism of Corne- 
lius was for the remission of his sins, either 
formal or real. But Peter did say to him: 
' ' WJiosoever believeth on him shall receive re- 
mission of sins;" and Cornelius also received 
the Holy Spirit before his baptism. As it 
appears to the writer, it is a moral and the- 
ological impossibility to believe that Saul 
and Cornelius were not accepted of God and 
really forgiven before their baptism. Their 
moral and spiritual recognition on the part of 
God precludes the possibility of any other con- 
clusion than that they were really pardoned be- 
fore baptism, and formally or legally remitted 
in baptism. 

And this is what Alexander Campbell meant 
when he said in his debate with Mr. McCalla in 
1823: ''Paul's sins were really pardoned when 
he believed — -formally pardoned when he was 
baptized." Mr. Campbell makes one state- 
ment in his book on baptism that at first glance 
appears to be inconsistent with this, where, on 
page 258, he says baptism is "for the true, real 
and formal remission of sins." Mr. Campbell 
said "the blood of Christ really cleanses us 
from sin." He also said "Paul's sins were 
really pardoned when he believed;" and here 



80 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

he says baptism is for the true, real and formal 
remission of sins. Mr. Campbell is here dis- 
cussing the legal phase of this subject. When 
he looks at the divine side of the subject as the 
matter stands in the mind of God, he says "the 
blood of Christ really cleanses from sin;" when 
he views the human side in its relations to the 
moral condition of the sinner he says, "Paul's 
sins were really pardoned when he believed;" 
and when he considers the matter in its legal 
relations to the divine government he says 
"baptism is for the real, formal remission of 
sins" — all real. But when Mr. Campbell is 
considering the question in both its moral and 
its legal phases, and placing these in contrast, 
he says: "Paul's sins were really pardoned 
when he believed, formally pardoned when he 
was baptized." That this is the correct inter- 
pretation of Mr. Campbell's statement above 
quoted from his book on baptism is evident 
from the fact that in this same discussion he 
says on page 272: "Baptism, according to the 
Apostolic church is both 'a sign 1 and 'a seaP of 
remission of sins. In this sense only does bap- 
tism now save us. ... Circumcision is 
said to have been, in one case at least, a sign 
and a seal. ' ' Here Mr. Campbell refers to the 
case of Abraham, of whom Paul says, in Rom. 
4:11: "He received the sign of circumcision, a 



THE READ AND THE FORMAL 81 

seal of the righteousness of the faith which he 
had while he was in uncircumcision." Notice 
carefully, Abraham had "the righteousness of 
faith," or remission of sins, before he was cir- 
cumcised. And he afterwards received circum- 
cision as a sign and seal of that righteousness. 
Of this Mr. Campbell on same page says: 
" Baptism, in the same sense and in a similar 
case is also both a sign and a seal — the sign, 
however, at most, is only indicative of what 
has bee7i sealed" — the sins have been really 
pardoned on the grounds of faith, of which bap- 
tism, the sign, "is only indicative," says Mr. 
Campbell. Again he says at the bottom of 
same page: "Baptism is a seal of the righteous- 
ness of faith, or the remission of all our past 
sins, through faith in his blood, then, and in 
that act publicly expressed and confirmed." 
Nothing can be plainer than that Mr. Campbell 
holds to real remission before baptism, and 
formal remission in baptism. This, however, 
will be more fully shown in subsequent pages. 
L,et us now return to the main thread of our 
argument on the real and the formal. 

IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS. 

The distinction between the real and the 
formal in the transactions of life is founded on 
a difference in the nature of things. The real 



82 



THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 



lies in the moral sphere, the formal in the ma- 
terial. In the case of marriage, the real is in 
the affections and agreements of two hearts; the 
formal in the rites prescribed for the consum- 
mation of matrimony. In the transference of 
property, the real is in the contract made by 
the parties; the formal in the deed on the re- 
corder's books. In the forgiveness of sins, the 
real is in the compassionate heart of God 
caused by the contrition of the penitent sin- 
ner; the formal is in the overt act of obedience 
to the ordinance of baptism. 

The real and the formal are both necessary, 
we might say equally necessary to the complete 
transaction. Without mutual affection and a 
mutual agreement no formal rites can ever con- 
stitute a true matrimonial alliance. And with- 
out the ceremonial forms, no union in marriage 
is competent. Hence, in order to a complete 
marriage compact, the real and the formal are 
equally necessary. Without the sympathy and 
compassionate forgiveness of the Father's 
heart, no formal obedience in baptism can 
secure the remission of sins. Nor will the 
forgiveness of the Father's heart secure for us 
the end of the commandment: " Arise and be 
baptized and wash away thy sins." This re- 
quires an act of obedience to authority on our 
part. Hence real and formal forgiveness are 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 83 

equally necessary to remission of sins in the 
full New Testament sense. The command of 
Peter on Pentecost, Acts 2:38, "Repent and be 
baptized," carries along with it both ideas, the 
real and formal "remission of sins." 

But while the real and formal are equally 
necessary, they are not equally important. The 
real is always more important than the formal. 
The moral element is more to be prized than 
the material. In the case of two alienated 
friends restored to an understanding and a 
friendly feeling, the union of their hearts is 
far more important than the union and shake 
of their hands. To a foreigner coming to our 
country, the privileges and opportunities which 
he secures, without naturalization, are more im- 
portant than those secured by formal naturali- 
zation. The privileges of life, liberty and the 
pursuit of happiness; the opportunity for home, 
protection and domestic felicity; the possibili- 
ties of wealth, education, social and religious 
enjoyment, are of more value than political 
privileges and preferment — voting and holding 
office. 

To the returning prodigal the father's recog- 
nition, parental embrace and forgiving wel- 
come were more valuable than the "best robe," 
the "ring" and the "fatted calf." To the 
penitent sinner the Heavenly Father's sympa- 



84 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

thy, forgiveness and love, his own spiritual re- 
generation and God's spiritual recognition, ac- 
ceptance and favor, are far more important than 
any consequences that can come from the out- 
ward compliance with any prescribed forms. A 
renewed mind, a spiritual discernment, a clear 
perception of truth, a subdued will, an under- 
standing of moral relations to the atoning love 
of Christ, a trustful faith and a loyal heart are 
more valuable than "confession with the 
mouth," and "obedience in baptism," though 
these are important, as are all divine command- 
ments. 

The real aLd the formal are mutually helpful 
to each other. What would the oath of office 
signify, administered to a man who had never 
desired or sought the presidency of the United 
States, or who had not been chosen by the suf- 
frages of the people for the position? It is the 
will of the people and the willingness of the 
man that give significance and authority to the 
formalities pertaining to his induction into 
office. And yet, his official vows lend gravity 
and dignity to his own sense of responsibility, 
and give to the people an assurance of his 
fidelity to the interests of the nation. 

What would the "robe," the "ring" and the 
"fatted calf" have indicated to the prodigal son 
with the father's unforgiving frown resting 



THE REAIv AND THB FORMAL 85 

upon him? Only a deeper consciousness of his 
own unworthiness. But with the parental kiss 
of forgiveness still warm on his cheek, these 
tokens of affection intensify the feelings of 
hoth the father and the son, until the cup of 
joy runs over. Without previous reconciliation 
between God and the sinner; without the divine 
favor and acceptance consequent upon the 
humiliation and compunction of the sinner; 
with the stern brow of the offended Lord still 
knit in unforgiveness, . what potency or effi- 
cacy is there in being baptized? Do you tell 
me that the Father of spirits sits unmoved by 
the sinner's "repentance toward God and faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ;" that he refuses his 
gracious forgiveness to a "broken and contrite 
heart" until the man "toes the mark" in bap- 
tism? Believe it who can, not I. "The Lord 
is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, 
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." 
And yet, the most natural thing for the peni- 
tent sinner is to cry out, "Lord, what wilt thou 
have me to doP^ When the heart is deeply 
moved, we always feel like doing something to 
give vent to our feelings and expression to our 
thoughts. Hence for man's own good, and not 
to influence God, the command is given to "be 
baptized." His faith stimulates him to seek 
baptism; his baptism intensifies his faith and 



86 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

gratifies his heart, and thus the real and the 
formal are helpful to each other. The real is a 
personal affair, while the formal is a matter of 
law. 

In the purchase of property by one party 
from another, the transaction is one of per- 
sonal interest, of personal judgment, of per- 
sonal feelings, etc. In their negotiations, from 
beginning to end, the buyer and the seller are 
each conscious of his individuality, his per- 
sonal rights and privileges, his volitions and 
purposes. Their agreement and contract is 
purely a personal affair between themselves. 
When these negotiations are ended, however, 
and the deed is delivered and placed on record, 
it becomes a matter of law, of public concern. 

In the alienation of two friends, it is an 
affair of personal feeling. And their reconcili- 
ation is brought about by personal explanations, 
concessions and apologies. After this they 
shake hands. This is according to the law of 
custom, and has its significance and authority. 
In the matter of forgiveness of sins there is a 
personal relationship between God and the sin- 
ner. God thinks and feels, and man thinks 
and feels. When we sin we do more than 
transgress a divine law, we sin against the 
divine Being. "Against thee, thee only have 
I sinned." The divine government is paternal. 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 87 

God is our Father, we are his children. Our 
wrong-doing offends the heart of the Father. 
We owe it to him to repent and "turn unto the 
Lord that he may have mercy upon us, and to 
our God that he may abundantly pardon." 
This is the real, personal adjustment of the 
sinner through repentance, and the real, per- 
sonal adjustment of the Heavenly Father 
through forgiveness. 

Formal remission is a matter of law. u Be 
baptized for the remission of your sins," is the 
legal phase of the subject. As there is a sense 
in which sin is the transgression of law, so 
there is a sense in which forgiveness is ob- 
tained through the observing of law. Personal 
forgiveness first, and then legal remission. 
And as sin exists in the human heart before it 
manifests itself in an overt act of disobedience, 
so forgiveness exists in the divine heart before 
it is declared in the act of obedience in bap- 
tism. 

In the scope of their influence, the real is 
limited to the subject or subjects of the transac- 
tion, while the formal extends to others as 
well. In the nuptial alliance, the heart exer- 
cises and experiences through which a unity of 
thought and purpose and life is reached, are 
confined to the parties to the compact. Con- 
sciousness, on their part alone, can attest the 



88 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

mental anxiety, the repose of confidence, the 
fidelity of faith, and the wealth of affection in- 
volved in this transaction, but are confined to 
the parties themselves. In the formal rites, 
however, other parties are reached and affected. 
The license must be procured from the proper 
official; witnesses must be had; the ceremony 
must be pronounced by an authorized agent. 
Why all this? Because other parties are inter- 
ested. Society at large needs to be protected 
as well as the parties themselves, and the law 
interposes for the general good. 

God has established a kingdom on earth — 
the Church of Christ. In this he reigns, and 
through this he sends out the gospel, and by 
this he saves sinners. The church is an organ- 
ized body with Christ our I,ord as its head. 
"And he gave some to be apostles, and some 
prophets, and some evangelists, and some pas- 
tors and teachers." The authority and minis- 
try of the apostles and prophets are still exer- 
cised and maintained through their writings in 
the New Testament. The evangelists and pas- 
tors and teachers are a perpetuated living min- 
istry. The church has ordinances to formally 
separate it from the world, and through which 
to edify itself in love, in efficiency and in 
power. These ordinances become the " formal" 
part of the church's life and existence. Through 



THE READ AND THE FORMAL 89 

these men express their faith and their feelings. 
The u real" of the heart speaks to the world 
through the "formal." Let us apply these 
things now to the subject in hand — the forgive- 
ness of sins. The feelings of the penitent sin- 
ner and the feelings of the compassionate 
Heavenly Father, are, in the nature of the case, 
limited to the sphere of their own hearts. 
While God, in answer to the cry of the peni- 
tent soul, grants his personal forgiveness, — 
promptly, cheerfully, gladly grants it, — yet 
there are other parties interested; every member 
of the Church of Christ is interested; the whole 
world is interested. Hence it becomes neces- 
sary for a formal, public declaration of the faith 
of the sinner, and for a formal, public declara- 
tion of the forgiveness of God. Hence the 
command, "Be baptized for the remission of 
your sins." 

POINTS GAINED. 

Now what points are gained by baptism for 
the remission of sins — for the formal remission? 

i. A rational view of the Divine Nature, 
and a just estimate of God's character, as pre- 
sented in the sacred Scriptures, are thus main- 
tained and defended. Reason concurs with the 
revealed Word of truth that God is infinite in 
lis attributes of intelligence, affection and voli- 



90 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PL^A 

tion. God is omniscient, God is love, God can 
will. The fatherhood of God is the sublime 
lesson of the ministry of Jesus Christ. That 
the broken heart of a wayward son finds instant 
response of sympathy and forgiveness in the 
parental nature of man, needs not to be argued. 
Whenever the father is assured that the son is 
penitent, the son is forgiven. But the Divine 
Nature is nobler and better than human nature. 
"If you being evil know how to give good gifts 
unto your children, how much more will your 
Heavenly Father give," etc. "When my father 
and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will 
take me up." As a necessary protection 
against mistakes and frauds in human govern- 
ments, man may prescribe formal acts for the 
offender to observe; but God, knowing the 
hearts of all men, needs no such protection. 
A father whose heart has melted into forgive- 
ness over the penitential pleadings of his erring 
son, may say; "My son, sit down there now, 
and read a chapter in the Bible, and I will for- 
give you." But everybody understands that 
the son is already really forgiven; and the 
father prescribes this formal duty because of 
some good that may thus come to the boy, or 
to discipline in the family; and not for any effect 
it may have on the father's neart. So when the 
Heavenly Father sees repentance in the sinner's 



THE REAL. AND THE FORM AD 91 

heart, he forgives, and if he prescribes "bap- 
tism for the remission of sins," it is for the 
sinner's own good, and for the good of the 
observing church and world, and not in any 
wise to influence God's own nature or feelings. 

2. The sinner is thus favored and gratified 
in his own feelings through this act of obe- 
dience to God. "Lord, what wilt thou have 
me to do?" cried Saul. When the heart is full 
it seeks relief in the utterance of action. It 
wants to do something to show its appreciation 
of its benefactor. "Arise and be baptized and 
wash away thy sins," is the answer. And to 
every obedient soul it brings relief and satisfac- 
tion. 

3. The sinner is thus assured of remission 
through the promise of God's Word. That 
forgiveness of sins, in some sense, is promised 
in baptism, is as clear as any other Bible truth. 
But, it may be asked, how can a man's own 
act of obedience in baptism assure him, be evi- 
dence to him, of forgiveness in the mind of 
God? Only because God has promised to for- 
give him on this condition. Believing God is 
faithful, when he has obeyed the command, he 
feels sure that he is forgiven — forgiven in what- 
ever sense the promise was made. 

But, it may be further asked, if God has 
promised to forgive the penitent believer on the 



92 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

condition of his faith in Christ, is he not already 
assured by his faith, and before his baptism? 
Yes, he is already assured, but he needs to be 
more fully assured. As the sinner, inexperi- 
enced in Christian thought and truth, passes 
from darkness to light, he has doubts and 
anxieties, fears and hopes. He is not just sure 
that he has that kind, or that measure of faith; 
that kind, or that measure of repentance, that 
meets the requirements of the divine law. He 
is not sure that he has the necessary internal, 
moral preparation that God demands. Every 
preacher of the gospel understands this fact. 
In his ministry he has often to aid struggling 
souls by explaining and expounding about 
mental states and moral; and by encouraging 
men in their efforts to free themselves from sin, 
and to lay hold of the promises of God. And 
when the preacher himself has become assured 
of the man's spiritual readiness, and has in- 
duced him to commit himself in baptism to the 
Lord, it is a pleasure to witness the relief and 
satisfaction brought to the earnest soul in this 
obedience in baptism. He does not doubt his 
baptism. And his assurance is made more 
abundant. This assurance, too, strengthens 
his faith and his hope both in himself and in 
his God. 

4. We are considering the points gained by 



THE REAI, AND THK FORMAL 93 

the doctrine of baptism for the "formal" remis- 
sion of sins. And now, in the fourth place, at- 
tention is directed to the very important fact, 
that the church is assured, by this open decla- 
ration of faith on the part of the sinner, that he 
is prepared for, and desires membership in, the 
body of Christ. Although the penitent be- 
liever is brought, by his faith in the L,ord Jesus 
Christ, into spiritual fellowship with God, and 
into the real, personal forgiveness of the Father, 
yet he is still living under disabilities. He has 
not been naturalized. He has not conformed 
to the law of induction into the earthly king- 
dom, of initiation into the church. He can 
have no church privileges; he is barred from 
the Iyord's Supper, from church fellowship. 
He has not been enfranchised in the kingdom. 
Through baptism and the formal remission of 
his sins, he must be formally received into the 
fellowship of saints, and enter formally into his 
rights and immunities as a citizen of the king- 
dom. Baptism fills a very important office, 
then, in the administration of the Church of 
Christ on earth. Its functions are sufficiently 
abundant without assuming the impossible task 
of enlightening the mind of God as to the moral 
condition of the sinner, and influencing the 
divine heart to grant real remission of sins. 
5. The baptism of the believer for the 



94 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

formal remission of his sins also serves a notice 
on the world that he is no longer of it. This is 
his deed to his moral realty which he secured 
by his faith at the hands of the atoning Savior. 
He files it in the court of Christ that it may 
stand on record as notice to the world of his 
property rights. But deeds are always evi- 
dence of previous moral transactions and agree- 
ments, and are never granted without these 
necessary prerequisites. Formal remission can 
never be obtained unless preceded by real 
remission. 

6. Another important purpose it serves is of 
removing from the gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ the repulsive aspect of a gross, unchris- 
tian legalism. The idea that the moral nature 
of our Heavenly Father, the spiritual sensibili- 
ties of his divine heart remain untouched and 
unmoved by the sinner's "repentance toward 
God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ;" and 
that the Holy One stands as a mere official, 
stern and all pitiless, waiting for the baptism of 
the sinner before his soul relaxes with compas- 
sion and forgiveness, is so contrary to our 
better instincts, and so contrary to the teach- 
ings of the Bible as to be offensive to enlight- 
ened Christian thought, as it appears to the 
writer. God is represented in the Scriptures of 
divine truth as seeking and pleading with the 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 95 

sinner to receive his mercy; as more willing to 
grant his forgiveness than man is to receive it. 
He sent his Son into the world "to seek and to 
save" men. "Behold I stand at the door and 
knock," expresses the attitude of the Heavenly 
Father. Now, after all this, when the sinner 
"turns unto the Lord that he may have mercy 
upon him, and to God that he may abundantly 
pardon," does God say, "Wait, not ready yet; 
you must be baptized before my forgiveness is 
extended?" Is there not an incompatibility in 
such teachings? 

7. This view of baptism reconciles the 
teachings of the Scriptures on this subject — 
their apparently contradictory teachings. 

The evangelical scholarship of Christendom 
by consensus may be said to have settled the 
two following points of Christian doctrine: 

(1) That God grants forgiveness of sins to 
men on the moral grounds of the sinner's peni- 
tent trust in Christ. 

(2) That, baptism, in some sense, is for the 
remission of sins. 

Now, that the penitent sinner obtains for- 
giveness on the condition of his faith in the 
Savior, and yet that he obtains forgiveness as 
a sequence of baptism, has the appearance of a 
contradiction. But this is precisely the con- 
tradictory appearance of Bible teaching on this 



96 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

subject. And this fact has given rise to much 
diversity of views and much disputation in the 
Christian world. Theories on this subject have 
been held and advocated, gravitating from the 
extremes of baptismal regeneration on the one 
hand, to the non-essentiality of baptism on the 
other. In the same way have the views and 
teachings of men varied with reference to the 
ordinance of the Lord's Supper, running from 
the extreme of transubstantiation, through 
consubstantiation, punctilious weekly observ- 
ance, monthly, quarterly and annual celebra- 
tion of the eucharist. These and other diversi- 
ties in the teachings and practices of different 
religious bodies, and the consequent contention 
and alienation among Christian men impressed, 
painfully impressed, the minds of Thomas 
Campbell and his son Alexander, and led them 
finally to determine to study Christianity, de 
novo, for themselves, and in the light of the 
inspired Word of God. The result is before 
the world as a part of history. Alexander 
Campbell was no ordinary man, viewed from 
any point of observation. He was a theolog- 
ical genius. His intellectual capacities for 
both analytical and synthetical reasoning were 
well poised; and his spiritual intuition was of 
the very highest order. His devotion to the 
revealed Word of God — the "Living Oracles," 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 97 

as he was wont to style the Bible, was unfal- 
tering, uncompromising. When he saw, as he 
clearly did, that the Holy Scriptures teach that 
the sinner is forgiven, as a consequence of his 
faith in the L,amb of God, he accepted it; and 
when he saw that the inspired Word commands 
men to u be baptized for the remission of their 
sins, ' ' he accepted this. He advocated both these 
points of Christian doctrine as important. He 
laid greater stress in his writings and teachings 
upon this latter point — baptism for remission, 
than he did upon the former; not because he 
esteemed it more important, or equally impor- 
tant, but because it was less understood and 
less appreciated by the religious world, and 
consequently needed to be more emphasized 
that it might be restored to its proper place 
in the Church of Christ. And holding to both 
these doctrines, and advocating both, has 
placed Mr. Campbell's writings, like those of 
the Bible, in apparent contradiction, but only 
apparent, as will be abundantly shown before 
we are done. 

Let us gather up the thread of our argument. 
We are discussing the real and the formal; and 
especially baptism for the formal remission of 
sins, and the points gained by this view of the 
subject. And we are now considering the fact 
that this view reconciles the apparent contra- 



98 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

dictions in those Scriptures which treat of the 
remission of sins — treat of it directly or by im- 
plication. 

In the Gospel of John, 5:24, the Savior says, 
"He that heareth my word and believeth on 
him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
shall not come into condemnation, but is passed 
from death unto life." And again he says, 
"He that believeth on him is not condemned; 
but he that believeth not is condemned already, 
because he hath not believed in the name of the 
only begotten Son of God." John 3:18. Now 
language could hardly be more explicit. If a 
man believes on Christ he is not condemned. 
But if he is not condemned, then he is forgiv- 
en. Again, if he does not believe on him, 
then he is condemned; and if he is condemned 
he is not forgiven. But a man is either for- 
given, or he is not forgiven; he is either con- 
demned, or he is not condemned; he either be- 
lieves, or he does not believe. But why is he 
"condemned already?" "Because he hath not 
believed on the name of the only begotten Son 
of God," says the Master. Unbelief, then, is 
the cause of condemnation, and belief is the 
cause of not being condemned. In other words, 
belief is the cause of being forgiven ^ and un- 
belief is the cause of not being forgiven. We 
have here, then, clearly the relation of cause 



THE REAL. AND THE FORMAL 99 

and effect. Belief and unbelief are causes fol- 
lowed by forgiven and unforgiven as effects. 

Another declaration of Christ is this: "He 
that believeth is passed from death unto life." 
Here is a moral change — a transition from spir- 
itual death unto spiritual life. But this in- 
volves remission of sins. When God declares 
that a man is passed from death unto life, he 
declares him forgiven. But faith secures this 
transition, hence faith secures his forgiveness. 
Such is the teaching of our Lord, unless he 
used words to conceal ideas. Notwithstanding 
all this, the Savior said to Nicodemus, "Ex- 
cept a man be born of water, he cannot enter 
into the kingdom of God." This is only an- 
other form of saying, except a man be baptized 
he cannot obtain remission of sins. But here 
is a contradiction on the surface of things. To 
say that forgiveness is an effect of faith, and 
yet that it cannot be obtained without baptism, 
is certainly a contradiction, at least in appear- 
ance. 

The same thing appears in the preaching of 
the Apostle Peter to the Jews on Pentecost, 
Acts 2:38, and to the Gentiles at the house of 
Cornelius, Acts 10:43. To the household of 
Cornelius he says: "To him give all the proph- 
ets witness, that in his name, whosoever be- 
lieveth on him shall receive remission of sins." 
LofC. 






100 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUHA 

This may be plainly stated thus: The proph- 
ets testify that, through the atonement of Jesus 
Christ, God will forgive all who trust in him. 
* ' Whosoever believeth on him shall receive remis- 
sion of sins." Here is a universal proposition, 
in which remission of sins is promised to all 
on the condition of faith in Christ, And yet, 
Peter said to the Jews on Pentecost, u Be bap- 
tized for the remission of your sins." If Peter 
uses the expression, "For the remission of 
sins," in the same sense in both these cases, 
then he is plainly at variance with himself in 
Christian doctrine. 

By way of reconciling this apparent contra- 
diction in Peter, it has been argued that the 
phrase, "in his name" means here, by his 
authority; and this authority ordained baptism 
for the remission of sins. This represents 
Peter as saying, "The prophets all testify that 
through baptism authorized by Christ, whoso- 
ever believeth on him shall receive remission of 
sins." But, as a matter of fact, did the proph- 
ets ever testify to any such a thing? They did 
testify to the ransom of sinners through the 
atoning L,amb of God, but not to the fact that 
he would accomplish this through authorized 
baptism. This species of special pleading to 
save a religious tenet, is only equaled by a 
short-sighted pedobaptist who cannot see im- 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL. 101 

mersion in the river Jordan, but who can see 
infants in household baptisms. Peter must be 
harmonized on some other principle, but of 
this later on. 

With reference to the import and significance 
of this phrase, "Through his name," the 
scholarship of Christendom is so uniform and 
so manifestly against the foregoing interpreta- 
tion of it, that it appears like trifling to resort 
to it. On this point, I submit the following 
from distinguished exegetes: 

Through his name: "Through his per- 
son." — Lange. "For his sake and on account 
of his merit." — Matthew Henry. "All the at- 
tributes and energies of which the name is the 
symbol." — Ellicott. "Not simply upon him, 
but upon him as possessing the attributes and 
sustaining the relations of which his name is 
the index." — Hovey. "By means of his name, 
of the believing confession of it, by which the 
objectively completed redemption is subjective- 
ly appropriated." — Meyer. 

From this we pass to observe that Paul is 
also involved in the same sort of contradictory 
teaching. In his discourse at Antioch in the 
Jewish synagogue, Acts 13:38, he says: "Be it 
known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, 
that through this man is preached unto you the 
forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe 



102 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

are justified from all things, from which you 
could not be justified by the law of Moses." 
While not in the same words, this is substan- 
tially the same declaration that Peter made to 
Cornelius. Where Peter says, ^Through his 
name" God grants forgiveness of sins to the 
believer, Paul says, "TJwongh this man" re- 
mission is granted. These two apostles 
evidently preached the same gospel, though 
not in just the same terms always. It would 
seem then that when Peter said remission of 
sins is obtained by the believer through his 
name, he meant through this man — through the 
mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ, and 
not through the exercise of his authority in or- 
daining baptism for remission of sins. But 
now notice that while Paul here declares, "All 
who believe are justified from all things" — are 
freely forgiven, yet in Gal. 3:27, he says they 
were "baptized into Jesus Christ," which is 
equivalent to being baptized into remission of 
sins. That is, according to Paul, forgiveness 
is consequent upon faith, and yet, consequent 
upon baptism. Here is need of reconciliation. 
Forgiveness, like repentance, implies a change 
of mind and a change of heart. Repentance of 
sin we may have committed against another is a 
personal, subjective experience. We feel it with- 
in us as a positive moral force moving us — mov- 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL, 103 

ing us, it may be to words, to tears or to actions. 
Paul speaks of the "motions of sin working in 
our members to bring forth fruit unto death." 
So there are "motions" of repentance "bring- 
ing forth fruit meet for repentance." In the 
same way forgiveness — real forgiveness — is a 
subjective moral force, an internal experience, a 
feeling within, moving the subject of it gra- 
ciously and compassionately toward the offender. 
Forgiveness, real forgiveness, consists essen- 
tially of this change within, a change of feel- 
ings in the offended party, in consequence of a 
change — of repentance — in the offender. And 
this real forgiveness moves to action, to formal 
pardon. This is the case even in the official 
acts of the governor when he pardons a crim- 
inal. He is first made, by representations and 
by information, to feel that the prisoner, by re- 
pentance, has made himself worthy of pardon. 
This feeling is the real pardon, all else con- 
nected with the prisoner's release is formal. 
These facts and principles obtain more mani- 
festly in the paternal government. 

Note this fact, that in the New Testament 
forgiveness of sins is made a sequence to the 
moral fitness of man to receive it. "Faith," 
"repentance," "conversion" and "born of 
God," are expressive of moral elements in the 
gospel. While these terms do not express the 



104 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OP OUR PLEA 

same shade of thought, philologically or meta- 
physically considered, yet they mean substan- 
tially the same thing in Christianity. They 
imply each other. They cannot exist alone. 
The man who has gospel faith, has gospel re- 
pentance, is converted and is born of God. The 
man who has gospel repentance, has gospel 
faith, is converted and born of God. The man 
who is converted according to the gospel, has 
faith and repentance and is born of God. And 
the man who is born of God is converted, has 
faith and has repentance. These terms, singly 
or collectively, applied to the sinner, mean a 
moral revolution within him — a change of 
views, a change of heart. Hence, when remis- 
sion of sins is declared in the New Testament, 
a sequence of faith, or of repentance, or of con- 
version, or of being born of God, it is declared 
to be a sequence of all of them. These are all 
co-ordinate and concordant factors of that re- 
newal, that great moral change wrought in the 
soul by the gospel of Christ. 

Let us now recite a few passages of Scripture 
illustrating these facts: "Whosoever believeth 
that Jesus is the Christ is born of Gotf ' — is for- 
given, (i John 5:1). 

"With the heart man believeth unto right- 
eousness" — into remission of sins. (Rom. 
10:10.) 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL 105 

" Whosoever believeth on him shall not be 
ashamed." (Rom. 9:33). Why not ashamed? 
Because he is forgiven. Why forgiven? Be- 
cause he believes on Christ. 

"Then to the Gentiles, also, hath God 
granted repentance unto life" — into remission 
of sins. (Acts 11:18). 

"Him hath God exalted to grant to Israel 
repentance and remission of sins. ' ' (Acts 5:31. ) 

"I,est they should see with their eyes and 
hear with their ears and understand with their 
heart, and should be converted, and I should 
heal them" — should forgive them. (Acts 
28:27.) 

Now it is plain to be seen that these texts 
from the Word of God, which might be multi- 
plied indefinitely, teach that the forgiveness of 
sins is a sequence — a moral effect, in the mind of 
God, resulting from a moral cause in the heart 
of man; and that this cause is variously styled 
in the Scriptures, "born of God," "conver- 
sion," "repentance," "faith," etc., according 
to the point of observation of the speaker or 
writer. 

Notwithstanding all this, it is just as plainly 
a matter of fact that baptism is made a condi- 
tion of remission of sins, of regeneration and of 
salvation. "Be baptized for the remission of 
sins" (Acts 2:38). "Arise and be baptized 



106 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

and wash away thy sins" (Acts 22:16). " Ex- 
cept a man be born of water he cannot enter 
into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). ''Bap- 
tism doth also now save us," etc. (1 Pet. 3:21). 
Now here is apparent contradiction; and here 
is need of reconciliation. This contrariety in 
Christian doctrine is to be found in all Chris- 
tian literature, in the various creeds and in the 
critical commentaries on the Scriptures. 

The point of this present contention is to 
affirm that there is a distinction between real 
and formal remission of sins; and this distinc- 
tion reconciles this apparent contradiction. 
Real forgiveness is granted to the sinner on the 
grounds of his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; 
and formal remission on the grounds of his obe- 
dience in baptism. Alexander Campbell, ob- 
serving this distinction, announced it to the 
world in 1823. 

"Paul's sins were really pardoned," he said, 
"when he believed, yet he had no solemn 
pledge of the fact, no formal acquittal, no for- 
mal purgation of his sins until he washed them 
away in the water of baptism." This, on the 
part of Mr. Campbell, was simply a new setting 
of an old truth. He did not claim originality 
in the truth, but only in the form in which he 
put it. He claimed, in making this distinc- 
tion, that he stood with Protestant Christen- 



THE REAL AND THE FORMAL v 107 

dom; and he proved it by their creeds and 
authoritative utterances. This strong empha- 
sis placed by him on baptism for the formal 
remission of sins attracted attention and pro- 
voked criticism. And this in turn called for 
repeated emphasis. Mr. Campbell wrote ex- 
tensively on this subject, so much so as to mis- 
lead many persons with the idea that he held 
to remission of sins, in no other sense than the 
formal remission in baptism. But Mr. Camp- 
bell never recalled his declarations made in 
1823 on this subject; and his biographer, Dr. 
Richardson, clearly holds him to it from begin- 
ning to end. No man has ever been more mis- 
understood, misconstrued and misrepresented, 
by friends and foes, than Alexander Campbell 
has been on this subject. This we next engage 
to make clear to the understanding of every 
man who will follow us, and who does not 
belong to that class of whom it has been writ- 
ten: "There are none so blind as those who 
will not see." 



V 

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL ON REMIS- 
SION OF SINS. 

What was Alexander Campbell's position in 
regard to "baptism for trie remission of sins?" 
The question raised is not whether Mr. Camp- 
bell held that baptism is for the remission of 
sins. Everybody at all acquainted with his 
writings knows that he did so teach ; and that 
he held and advocated this view with great 
emphasis. His writings abound in various and 
strong declarations on this point. Nor is the 
enquiry here raised as to whether the mind 
and the heart are associated with the act of 
baptism in the proper administration of the 
ordinance. It is clearly understood that in 
every instance of scriptural baptism the 
thoughts and feelings accompany the action; 
and that Mr. Campbell so believed and so 
taught. Our thoughts and feelings attend all 
our normal acts. When we kiss a babe our 
hearts sanction it and co-operate with the body 
in the act; and so in every other instance. 
The nature of the act and the nature of the feel- 
ings correspond. The direct point in the pres- 
ent inquiry is in what sense did Mr. Campbell 
(108) 



CAMPBEU, ON REMISSION OF SINS 109 

hold to and teach "baptism for the remission of 
sins?" The investigation is one of fact, one of 
history. Dr. Richardson, in his "Memoirs of 
Alexander Campbell," page 20, vol. 2, tells us 
that in a debate with Mr. Walker, a Secession 
Presbyterian minister, in 1820, Mr. Campbell 
declared that, "Baptism is connected with the 
promise of the remission of sins." 

Concerning this declaration Dr. Richardson 
says: 

"This utterance is worthy of notice as his first definite 
and public recognition of the peculiar office of baptism. 
While, however, he thus in 1820, distinctly perceived and 
asserted a scriptural connection between baptism and re- 
mission of sins, he seems to have viewed it, at this time, 
only in the light of an argument, and to have had but a 
faint appreciation of its great practical importance. A 
momentary glance only seems as yet to have been directed 
to the great purpose of baptism, which subsequently 
assumed so conspicuous a position in the restoration of 
the primitive gospel." 

This debate with Mr. Walker was held in 
the state of Ohio. In the year 1823 Mr. 
Campbell held a debate with Mr. McCalla, a 
Presbyterian minister, in Kentucky. In this 
debate he set forth extensively and clearly his 
more matured views on the relation of baptism 
to the remission of sins. Tbe following ex- 
tracts from that discussion will enable the 



110 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

reader to understand Mr. Campbell's position at 
that time: 

"Never was there an ordinance of so great import or 
design. It is to be but once administered. We are to pray 
often, praise often, show forth the Lord's death often, 
commemorate his resurrection every week, but we are to 
be baptized but once. * * * * I know it will be said that 
I have affirmed that baptism saves us. Well, Peter and 
Paul have said so before me. If it was not criminal in 
them to say so, it cannot be criminal in me. When 
Ananias said unto Paul, 'Arise and be baptized, and wash 
away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord,' I sup- 
pose Paul believed him and arose and was baptized, and 
washed away his sins. When he was baptized, he must 
have believed that his sins were now washed away in some 
sense that they were not before. For if his sins had been 
already, in every sense, washed away, Ananias' address 
would have led him into a mistaken view of himself, both 
before and after baptism. Now we confess that the blood 
of Jesus Christ alone cleanses us who believe from all sins. 
Even this, however, is a metaphorical expression. The 
enicacy of his blood springs from his own dignity and 
from the appointment of his Father. The blood of Christ, 
then, really cleanses us who believe from all sin. Behold 
the goodness of God in giving us a formal token of it by 
ordaining a baptism expressly 'for the remission of sins.' 
The water of baptism, then, formally washes away our 
sins. The blood of Christ really washes away our sins. 
Paul's sins were really pardoned when he believed, yet he 
had no solemn pledge of the fact, no formal purgation of 
his sins until he washed them away in the water of bap- 
tism. To every believer, therefore, baptism is a formal 
and personal remission or purgation of sins. The believer 
never has his sins formally washed away or remitted until 
he is baptized." 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 111 

Commenting on this position of Mr. Camp- 
bell with regard to baptism, in his debate with 
Mr. McCalla, Dr. Richardson says: 

"Thus the design of baptism and its true place in the 
economy of the gospel had gradually become clearer, and 
its importance proportionally enhanced in his estimation, 
since the debate with Walker. Often, during the interven- 
ing period, had this particular point been the subject of 
conversation between him and his father, as well as with 
Walter Scott, and of careful Scripture examinations, and 
these utterances in the McCalla debate presented the views 
they had beforehand agreed upon as the true and obvious 
teachings of the New Testament. * * * Thus, in 1823, 
the design of baptism was fully understood and publicly 
asserted." 

Thus writes Dr. Richardson with regard to 
Mr. Campbell and his views after Mr. C's death. 
Dr. Richardson was Mr. Campbell's life long 
friend and associate. These two men worshiped 
together in the same church, were both teach- 
ers in Bethany College, and were co-editors of the 
Millennial Harbinger. When Mr: Campbell 
died Dr. Richardson was selected by Mr. Camp- 
bell's family to write his biography. That Dr. 
Richardson understood Mr. Campbell's views on 
all these questions there can be no doubt. And 
Dr. Richardson quotes Mr. Campbell's declara- 
tions in the McCalla debate, viz.: "Paul's sins 
were really pardoned when he believed, yet he 
had no solemn pledge of the fact, no formal 



112 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

purgation of his sins until he washed them away 
in the water of baptism." And then adds: 
''Thus in 1823 the design of baptism was fully 
tmderstood and publicly asserted." Now if the 
"design of baptism was fully understood" then, 
there could have been no change in Mr. Camp- 
bell's views on this subject afterwards. And 
this is the precise point of our present inquiry. 
Did Mr. Campbell change his views on this 
subject? If he did we have no account of it. 
Dr. Richardson, his biographer, does not men- 
tion the fact, which he certainly would have 
done had this been the case. Mr. Campbell was 
an original, independent thinker. He was a 
man of strong convictions. He was a conscien- 
tious man. When he changed his mind in re- 
gard to his own baptism, he at once sought im- 
mersion at the hands of a Baptist preacher. 
When he changed his mind in regard to Calvin- 
ism he declared it. When he changed in regard 
to the nature of faith, he proclaimed it. When 
he changed his views in reference to church 
order or government or worship he announced it. 
When he changed in regard to the work of the 
Holy Spirit he was bold to say so. "Wise men 
change often, but fools never," he frequently 
wrote as his motto. But Mr. Campbell never 
announced to the world any change in his views 
on the design of baptism as expressed in his 



CAMPBEIvL ON REMISSION OF SINS 113 

debate with McCalla in 1823. The on ^y ev ^" 
dence adduced to make it appear that he did 
so change is the fact that he affirmed the prop- 
osition that, "Baptism is for the remission of 
past sins," and that, throughout his life, he 
wrote and spoke abundantly and emphatically 
in support of this proposition. But this was 
his position in the McCalla debate, and he then 
set himself boldly in its proclamation and de- 
fense. Mr. Campbell had no dispute with the 
Christian world on the position that "Paul's 
sins were really pardoned when he believed." 
This was conceded on all hands. But when he 
maintained that "the believer never has his 
sins formally washed away or remitted until he 
is baptized," then he found opposition. The 
greater the opposition, the greater the occasion 
for his emphatic affirmation of the truth. 

In his discussions of this question Mr. Camp- 
bell did not always choose to make the distinc- 
tion between "real" and "formal" remission. 
The Scriptures plainly teach that "baptism is 
for the remission of sins," and Mr. Campbell 
affirmed this proposition before the world, and 
proved it. In doing this he neither affirmed 
nor denied in regard to "real" and "formal" 
remission, but only that "baptism is for there- 
mission of sins." To this he held without 
ever renouncing his position that, "Paul's sins 



114 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

were really pardoned when he believed." He 
was committed to the restoration of apostolic 
Christianity in letter and in spirit. Hence his 
earnest contention for the weekly observance of 
the Lord's Supper, and for baptism for the re- 
mission of sins. 

There are two classes of men who have mis- 
understood and misrepresented Mr. Campbell 
on this subject, and on the work of the Holy 
Spirit — his sectarian critics and a school of 
thinkers in our own ranks that we call, for the 
want of a better term, legalists. And it is a 
significant fact that both these quote the same 
passages from Mr. Campbell's writings to make 
good their contentions that Mr. Campbell re- 
pudiated the doctrine of "real" remission on the 
ground of faith in the blood of Christ, and of a 
real presence of the Holy Spirit to-day in the 
work of salvation. 

Mr. Campbell held to both the "letter" and 
the "spirit" of Christianity; he believed firmly 
in that which is "without" and that which is 
"within" in our holy religion; and held to the 
evident scriptural distinction between "real" 
and "formal" remission of sins. All of which 
will be made clear as we proceed. 

HIS EARLIER DECLARATIONS. 

Let us bear in mind that in the year 1823, 
Mr. Campbell, in his debate with McCalla, 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 115 

declared that "Paul's sins were really pardoned 
when he believed, and formally forgiven when 
he was baptized." And that Dr. Richardson, 
in his "Memoirs of Alexander Campbell," re- 
ferring to this position says: 

"This particular point had often been the subject of con- 
versation between him and his father, as well as with 
Walter Scott, and of careful Scripture examinations, and 
these utterances in the McCalla debate presented the 
views they had beforehand agreed upon as the true and 
obvious teachings of the New Testament. * * * * Thus, 
in 1823, the design of baptism was fully understood and 
picblicly asserted. ' ' 

Again, Dr. Richardson, referring to Mr. 
Campbell's growth and confirmation of views, 
and to the fact that these same views were 
contained theoretically in all the creeds of 
Protestant Christendom, but were practically 
unheeded, represents Mr. Campbell as saying 
some time after this: 

"We can sympathize with those who have this doctrine 
in their own creeds unregarded and unheeded in its im- 
port and utility; for we exhibited it fully in our debate 
with Mr. McCalla in 1823, without feeling its great impor- 
tance, and without beginning to practice upon its tenden- 
cies for some time afterward." — Memoirs, vol. 2, page 217. 

In the year 1824, Mr. Campbell, writing in 
the Christian Baptist, page 6 J , in reference to 
an old brother always praying to God to "for- 
give the sins of his youth," says: 



116 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"Methinks this aged professor has yet to learn the 
import of the ''glad tidings to all people,' one item of 
which most certainly assures the believer of the remission 
of all his sins committed previously to the hour he trusted 
in the Savior." 

Here is a plain declaration of Mr. Campbell's 
view on this subject. He is not now discuss- 
ing the full gospel plan of remission of sins, 
but only the u one item" of real forgiveness on 
the moral grounds of trust in Christ; "which," 
he says, "most certainly assures the believer 
of the remission of all his sins committed previ- 
ously to the hour he trusted in the Sa.vior." 

Again, in the same article, on page 68, he 
illustrates and represents God as saying to man, 
"Know assuredly that whenever you trust in 
my ability, benevolence, and veracity, you are 
remitted." Language could not be more de- 
cisive of a point than this — "whenever you 
trust you are remitted." Mr. Campbell is not 
now considering the question of the "formal" 
remission of sins in baptism, but of "real" 
remission, granted to every believer on the 
ground of his "trust" in God through Christ 
Jesus. 

It was in the year 1828 that Mr. Campbell 
began that remarkable series of articles in the 
Christian Baptist on baptism. It is largely 
from these articles that Mr. Campbell's oppo- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 117 

nents and his misguided friends and brethren 
draw their weapons of war. That "a man's 
foes shall be they of his own household" was 
never more fully exemplified than in that class 
of preachers among the Disciples who quote 
Mr. Campbell's strong declarations in favor of 
baptism as the ordinance through which is 
granted the formal "remission" of sins, as proof 
that Mr. Campbell had abandoned his position 
that "Paul's sins were really pardoned when 
he believed." Mr. Campbell never abandoned 
that position. This fact of history we are now 
making clear. In the articles referred to he 
takes bold ground on baptism for remission of 
sins, but he is careful, in the very opening 
sentences, to guard himself against the 
misunderstandings and misinterpretations to 
which his writings have been subjected. He 
refers directly to the position he took in his 
debate with McCalla, and reaffirms its truth as 
an introduction to what he intends saying in 
confirmation of baptism for the "formal" remis- 
sion of sins, not "real" remission. This is 
not in dispute. He agreed with the religious 
world on this point. Hear his introduction: 

''Immersion in water into the name of the Father, Son 
and Holy Spirit, the fruit of faith in the subject, is the 
most singular institution that ever appeared in the world. 
Although very common in practice, and trite in theory, 



118 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

although the subject of a good many volumes, and of many 
a conversation, it appears to me that this institution of 
divine origin, so singular in its nature, and so grand and 
significant in its design, is understood by comparatively 
very few. 

"In my debate with Mr. McCalla in Kentucky, in 1823, 
on this topic, I contended that it was a divine institution 
designed for putting the legitimate subject of it in actual 
possession of the remission of his sins. That to every 
believing subject it did formally, and in fact, convey to 
him the forgiveness of sins. It was with much hesitation 
I presented this view of the subject at that time, because 
of its perfect novelty. I was then assured of its truth, and 
I think presented sufficient evidence of its certainty. But 
having thought still more closely upon the subject, and 
having been necessarily called to consider it more fully as 
an essential part of the Christian religion, I am still better 
prepared to develop its import and to establish its utility 
and value in the Christian religion." 

Thus wrote Mr. Campbell in 1828. He was 
then forty years old. He had been before the 
world as an active, conspicuous innovator, icon- 
oclast and reformer for eighteen years. This 
was five years after his debate with Mr. 
McCalla. He says he had now "thought more 
closely upon the subject," had been "necessarily 
called to consider it more fully," was now "still 
better prepared to develop its import, and to 
establish its value and utility." Does Mr. 
Campbell recede from his position in the McCalla 
dabate? What was his position in that debate? 
It was this: "To every believer, therefore, bap- 
tism is a formal and personal remission or pur- 



CAMPBBIvIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 119 

gation of sins. The believer never has his sins 
formally washed away or remitted until he is 
baptized." 

What is his position now in the above ex- 
tract? It is this: "In my debate with. Mr. 
McCalla I contended that it was a divine insti- 
tution designed for putting the legitimate sub- 
ject of it in actual possession of the remission 
of his sins. That to every believing subject it 
did formally and in fact convey to him the for- 
giveness of sins." Thus Mr. Campbell re- 
affirms precisely his position on this subject. 
The "real pardon" of Paul "when he believed" 
cuts no figure in his present discussion. It is 
not "real pardon" he is considering, but "for- 
mal forgiveness" in baptism. Concerning this 
he says, "It appears to me it is understood by 
comparatively very few." 

He knew that "real pardon" on the ground 
of faith in the Savior was well understood, 
hence he was not called upon to discuss that 
branch of the subject. To show that I am cor- 
rectly interpreting Mr. Campbell's teachings in 
these articles in the Christian Baptist in 1828, 
and that Mr. Campbell saw both sides of this 
question, that which is "without" and that 
which is "within," its internal, moral phase 
and its external, legal phase — "real" and "for- 
mal" remission of sins — to show these points 



120 THB SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

clearly I will place side by side a few extracts 
from these articles. 

In his third article, speaking of the ennuch 
rejoicing on his way after his baptism, he says: 
"The eunuch had fonnd what thousands before 
him had experienced, peace with God, from a 
conviction that his sins had been actually for- 
given in the act of immersion." 

That Mr. Campbell meant by this simply 
that the eunuch rejoiced because he had obeyed 
God in baptism, and had thus received the "as- 
surance" of pardon, "confirmation" of the 
promise of "real pardon" bestowed on the 
ground of his "trust" in Christ, is evident from 
the fact that in the paragraph just preceding 
this he speaks of Paul's case and says: "When 
Paul was immersed, it was declared and under- 
stood by the parties that all his previous sins 
were washed away in the act of immersion." 

But Mr. Campbell's position in regard to Paul 
was that he was "really pardoned" when he 
believed, and "formally" forgiven when he was 
baptized. Hence it was the same in this case 
of the eunuch. 

This is made clear in his second article on 
baptism when, speaking of the eunuch rejoicing, 
he adds: "When Jesus commanded reformation 
and forgiveness of sins to be announced, in his 
name to all nations, he commanded men to re- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OP SINS 121 

ceive immersion to the confirmation of this 
promise." Mark the distinction here made be- 
tween "forgiveness of sins" on the gronnd of 
"reformation," and "the confirmation of this 
promise" in "immersion." This distinction 
between "real" and "formal" pardon obtains in 
all Mr. Campbell's writings. 

In his sixth article on baptism he is very 
clear in this distinction. He says: "That there 
is a definite instant of time in which all former 
sins are absolved is generally admitted; but 
that there is any sensible means ordained 
by which this blessing is conveyed, is not so 
generally apprehended." 

Here Mr. Campbell clearly distinguishes be- 
tween the "instant of time in which all for- 
mer sins are absolved" and the "sensible means 
ordained by which this blessing is conveyed." 
That is, our sins are "absolved," "really par- 
doned" the "instant of time" in which we be- 
lieve. This, Mr. Campbell says, is "generally 
admitted." This is the general doctrine of 
Christendom. But that the "assurance" of this 
is formally "conveyed" to us through the "sen- 
sible means" of baptism "is not so generally 
apprehended. ' ' Can anybody misunderstand Mr. 
Campbell? 

Again he says in this same article: "Faith, 
indeed, is the grand medium through which 



122 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

forgiveness is accessible, but something more is 
necessary to the actual enjoyment of the blessing 
than a conviction that it is derived through the 
blood of Jesus. Hence those who had obtained 
this belief were commanded to be immersed for 
the remission of their sins." 

And further on he adds: "So that the instant 
of time, and the means by which the formal re- 
mission is granted, is an object of sense, and a 
proper subject of remembrance." 

Nothing can be made more evident than the 
fact that while Mr. Campbell held to the posi- 
tion that the "formal" remission of sins was a 
matter of law, a legal transaction, materialized 
to the "senses" \n the act of baptism; yet back 
of this he recognized the truth that "real" for- 
giveness in the Father's heart was caused by 
man's faith in Christ Jesus his Son. But more 
of this as we proceed. 

Mr. Campbell's utterances on the subject of 
remission of sins are like those of the New Tes- 
tament — they appear inconsistent until consid- 
ered as a whole, and studied in the light of 
reason, and interpreted according to a sound 
philosophy. He is sometimes considering the 
subject of "real" remission on the moral ground 
of faith — trust in Christ as the Savior of sin- 
ners; at other times he is considering it from a 
legal point of view, as "formal" remission 



CAMPBEU, ON REMISSION OF SINS 123 

through the action of baptism; and, again, he 
views it in the light of both the real and the 
formal aspects of the subject taken together; 
the moral and the legal phases combined in one 
transaction as necessary to a full, complete and 
practical view of the subject. To show this 
similarity between Mr. Campbell's method of 
treating this subject, and that employed in the 
Scriptures, we now refer to the Savior's 
teachings. 

"He that heareth my word and believeth on 
him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
shall not come into condemnation; but is 
passed from death unto life." (John 5:24). 

Here the Son of God is considering the mat- 
ter of man's personal, moral condition and rela- 
tion to God his Father. He declares of a 
certain character that he "is passed from death 
unto life." But this, as has been previously 
shown, implies forgiveness of sins. The moral 
renovation involved in "passing from death 
unto life" puts a man where the Savior says 
further of him, "he shall not come into con- 
demnation," and still further, "he hath ever- 
lasting life." All this can mean nothing less 
than that the Heavenly Father looks with 
favor, compassion and forgiveness on such an 
one. But what is the moral condition and 
character of the man of whom all this is said? 



124 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

Simply this: "He heareth my word and be- 
lieveth on him that sent me." Here the Sav- 
ior is considering only "real pardon" on the 
moral ground of faith. 

But when Christ insisted that John the Bap- 
tist should baptize him, saying, "Thus it be- 
cometh us to fulfill all righteousness," he 
recognizes the legal element in religion, and 
places the seal of his own obedience on the or- 
dinance of "baptism for the remission of 
sins" — the legal, formal remission, not the 
actual, real remission. 

Again, the Savior said, "He that believeth 
and is baptized shall be saved." Now, here 
he views the subject in its fullness, in both its 
moral and its legal aspects as involving both 
real and formal remission of sins. 

After the same manner Mr. Campbell treats 
of the subject of remission of sins in his writ- 
ings. When his mind is directed to the moral 
phase of the question, to real pardon, he says, 
"One item of the gospel most certainly assures 
the believer of the remission of all his sins com- 
mitted previously to the hour he trusted in the 
Savior. . . . Know assuredly that when- 
ever you trust in my ability, benevolence and 
veracity, you are remitted." 

And then, when his mind is turned to the 
legal phase of the question, he speaks thus: 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 125 

"The forgiveness of sins, then, becomes ours when we 
become Christ's; and if we formally and actually become 
Christ's the moment we are immersed into his name, it is 
as clear as day that the moment a believer is immersed 
into the name of Christ, he obtains the forgiveness of his 
sins as actually and as formally as he puts him on in im- 
mersion. But as no woman is legally or in fact her hus- 
band's property, nor his property hers, until the marriage 
covenant is ratified and confirmed according to law; so no 
person can legally claim the blessings of pardon and 
acceptance who has not been according to law espoused to 
Jesus Christ. But so soon as the marriage is consummated, 
that moment the right is established and the blessings 
secured." 

And then, again, when he contemplates the 
subject in its entirety, and is considering both 
the moral and legal phases together, when he 
is, without making the distinction between 
"real" and "formal" pardon, discussing the 
general topic of remission of sins, he writes on 
this wise: "Faith is not more evidently con- 
nected with immersion, than is immersion with 
the forgiveness of sins. In the ancient gospel, 
it was first a belief in Jesus; next immersion; 
then forgiveness; then peace with God, and 
then joy in the Holy Spirit." 

And, still further, we may trace the analogy 
between Mr. Campbell's style of treating this 
subject and that of the Bible, in the way in 
which they each discriminate occasionally be- 
tween "real" and "formal" remission. For 



126 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

example, Mr. Campbell says: "Paul's sins 
were really pardoned when lie believed, for- 
mally pardoned when he was baptized." 

So Paul says (Gal. 3:26) /'Ye are all the chil- 
dren of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as 
many of you as have been baptized into Christ 
have put on Christ." It would be an easy 
matter to extend this parallelism between the 
utterances of the Bible and those of Mr. Camp- 
bell, but let us not digress too far from the im- 
mediate point of our present investigation, viz., 
Did Mr. Campbell ever change his position in 
the McCalla debate in regard to "real" and 
"formal" remission of sins? 

The strongest possible evidence known to 
me, in his writings, that he did undergo a 
change of mind on this point, will now be laid 
before the reader. In the Christian Baptist, 
page 530, he answers a query directly on this 
point as follows: 

"Is a believer in Christ not actually in a pardoned state 
before lie is baptized? 

"Answer. — Is not a man clean before he is washed!! 
When there is only an imaginary or artificial line between 
Virginia and Pennsylvania, I cannot often tell with ease 
whether I am in Virginia or in Pennsylvania; but I can 
always tell when I am in Ohio, however near the line — for 
I have crossed the Ohio River. And, blessed be God! he 
has not drawn a mere artificial line between the planta- 
tions of nature and of grace. No man has any proof that 
he is pardoned until he is baptized. And if men are con- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 127 

scious that their sins are forgiven, and that they are par- 
doned before they are immersed, I advise them not to go 
into the water, for they have no need of it." 

This was written in 1829. But jnst the year 
before, Mr. Campbell reaffirmed, in the Chris- 
tian Baptist, page 401, his position in the 
McCalla debate, which was that baptism "for- 
mally conveyed the forgiveness of sins," while 
Paul's sins were "really pardoned when he be- 
lieved." It is evident that in the above query 
and answer, Mr. Campbell is considering re- 
mission in its completion, and as involving both 
4 'real" and "formal" pardon, which he ex- 
pressed in his debate with Rice as follows: 

"Peter inseparably connected repentance and 
baptism as necessary to a plenary remission of 
sin." Mark that expression, "plenary remis- 
sion." No man's sins are forgiven in the full 
scriptural sense until he has believed and been 
baptized. God knows when man trusts in 
Christ, and he then "really" forgives; man 
knows when he is baptized, and thus obeys the 
law, and is assured of his acceptance through 
this "formal" forgiveness. It is in this view of 
the subject that Mr. Campbell says "a believer 
in Christ is not actually in a pardoned state be- 
fore he is baptized. " "In the pardoned state, ' ' 
notice. Mr. Campbell always emphasized the 
fact that baptism changed a man's "state," 



128 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

like the marriage ceremony in law. Before 
that ceremony he is in the unmarried state; 
after the ceremony he is in the married state. 
The change, however, is only a legal one, a 
formal one. From a moral point of view, the 
man and woman who have plighted their faith 
and their affections to each other in conjugal 
vows, are morally and really changed in state, 
are really husband and wife. But for their own 
good and for the good of society in many ways, 
these vows have been put under legal restric- 
tions; and there is a marriage in law as well as in 
heart. In the marriage ceremony there is only 
a formal declaration of what really existed be- 
fore. To ask, then, "Is a man married before 
the ceremony?" is to do precisely what Mr. 
Campbell has done in his answer to the above 
query, "Is a man clean before he is washed?" 
No man knew better than Mr. Campbell that 
repentance toward God and faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ make a man clean "within;" and 
that baptism could only make him clean in the 
eye of the law. No man knew better than Mr. 
Campbell that God knows when he himself for- 
gives the sinner, but that the man himself could 
best know it when he had "crossed the Ohio 
River" — been baptized, and thus been made 
clean in the eye of the divine law. Mr. Camp- 
bell's chief object in this answer to the query 



CAMPBEU, ON REMISSION OF SINS 129 

was to strike a blow at the popular doctrine 
that a man is "conscious" that his sins are for- 
given. God is "conscious" of forgiving our 
sins; but man can only be conscious of the in- 
ternal, moral conditions, and of the external 
act of obedience which God has made the con- 
ditions of his forgiveness, and the assurance to 
man of the fact. Hence, Mr. Campbell says, 
"No man has any proof that he is pardoned 
until he is baptized" — no proof of the "plenary 
remission of sins;" of that remission that in- 
volves both "real" and "formal," both per- 
sonal and legal forgiveness. It was in this 
view of the subject that Peter said to the Pente- 
costians, "Repent and be baptized for the remis- 
sion of sins." 

That I have correctly interpreted Mr. Camp- 
bell in the above instance will appear further on. 

At the expense of being thought redundant 
and even tedious on this subject, I here sub- 
mit to the reader additional statements from 
Mr. Campbell's writings showing that while he 
contended strongly for baptism as necessary to 
the remission of sins in a "plenary" sense, in 
its full and complete significance and compre- 
hension, yet he always recognized the distinc- 
tion between the moral and the legal relations 
and states connected with this subject. He 
held that according to law, according to the 



130 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Scriptures, no man had the/}/// assurance of the 
full remission of his sins until he was baptized ; 
that having become reconciled to his Heavenly 
Father, and having established proper moral 
relations with him by faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and having been baptized, he had then 
assurance of both real and formal remission — 
forgiveness in the Father's heart and in the eye 
of the law. 

In his article on remission of sins in the 
Christian System, page 181, Mr. Campbell says: 
"The object of this essay is to open to the con- 
sideration of the reader the Christian institution 
for the remission of sins; to show by what 
means a person may enjoy the assurance of a 
personal and plenary remission of all his sins." 
Notice his language — "To show by what means 
a person may enjoy the assurance" — he may 
have received the father's forgiveness, but he 
needs the "assurance" of it. Assurance of 
what? "Of a personal and plenary remission of 
all his sins." Why use that word "plenary?" 
Because the "personal" forgiveness of the 
Father needs to be supplemented by a pro- 
vision or law — by baptism, in order to become 
( ''plenary. ' ' 

And then again in the Christian System , 
page 190, Mr. Campbell says: 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 131 

"A change of heart is the result of a change of views, 
and whatever can accomplish a change of views may ac- 
complish a change of heart or feeling; but a change of 
state always calls for something more . . . State here 
has respect to the whole person. It may be argued that 
state is as pertinently applied to the mind or heart as to 
the whole person; and that when the state of the mind is 
changed by a belief in God's testimony, the subject of that 
change is brought into as near a relation to God as he can 
be in this life; and as the kingdom of Jesus is a spiritual 
kingdom, he is as fit for admission into it, and for the en- 
joyment of its blessings, whenever his heart is changed 
from enmity to love, as he ever can be; nay, in truth, is 
actually initiated into the kingdom of Jesus the moment 
his mind is changed — and to insist upon any personal act 
as necessary to admission, because such acts are necessary 
to admission into all the social and political relations in 
society, is an overstraining the analogies between things 
earthly and things heavenly. . . . But, without paus- 
ing to inquire whether the state of the heart can be per- 
fectly changed from enmity to love, without an assurance 
of remission on some ground, or in consequence of some 
act of the mind, prerequisite thereunto; — without being at 
pains to show that the truth of this proposition is not at all 
essential to our argument, but only illustrative of it; we 
may say that Christ has redeemed the whole man — body, 
soul and spirit by his obedience even to death — so in com- 
ing into his kingdom on earth, and in order to the enjoy- 
ment of all the present salvation, the state of the whole per- 
son must be changed; and this is what we apprehend Jesus 
meant by his saying, 'Unless a man is born of water 
and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;' 
and what we mean in distinguishing a change of heart, or 
of views and feelings, from a change of state." 

The reader cannot fail to observe that Mr. 
Campbell sees clearly through this whole sub- 



132 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ject in the light in which we are presenting 
him. In the above extract he gives only another 
statement of his declaration made in 1823 — 
"Paul's sins were really pardoned when he be- 
lieved, yet he had no solemn pledge of the fact, 
no formal purgation of his sins until he washed 
them away in the water of baptism." He 
maintains that while faith in Christ Jesus our 
Iyord changes a man's heart, and establishes 
moral relations between him and his Heavenly 
Father, yet he needs to have his "body washed 
with pure water" in baptism that the "whole 
man" may be brought under submission to 
God. And he holds that in this overt act of 
obedience the man finds "assurance" that 
brings him into full "enjoyment" of his hope 
in the Savior. This idea of the "a/M^man" 
being brought into Christ in baptism, and the 
"assurance" being thus made "full and com- 
plete" is brought out in another form by Mr. 
Campbell on page 197, Christian System — "No 
person is altogether discipled to Christ until 
he is immersed." 

In all this, however, Mr. Campbell, as he 
always affirmed, was in full accord with the 
Protestant world. Only he was more emphatic 
on this point, was more bold to proclaim the 
Scripture doctrine, and consquently more con- 
sistent. On page 225, Christian System, he 



CAMPBKIvL ON REMISSION OF SINS 133 

says: "But even the reformed creeds, Epis- 
copalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist, 
substantially avow the same views of immer- 
sion, though apparently afraid to carry them 
out in faith and practice." 

His idea was that they were afraid of being 
thought in sympathy with the Roman Catholic 
doctrine of baptismal regeneration. On this 
point in the Christian Baptist, page 436, he 
says: 

"In shunning one extreme we are apt to run into the 
contrary. The Papists in former times made the mere act 
of immersion or sprinkling, irrespective of the sentiments, 
faith, or feelings of the subject, wash away all sins. . . . 
Now, methinks we are not to be scared out of our duty or 
privilege because of the errors or follies of others. Nor 
do we lose sight of the forgiveness of our sins in immer- 
sion, because Papists have made a savior of a mere cere- 
mony." 

Mr. Campbell always had the courage of his 
convictions, whether he antagonized Catholic, 
Protestant, Jew, or Infidel. 

L,et it be noted in this connection, also, that 
while Mr. Campbell always held that every 
truly godly man, whether immersed or not, was, 
by virtue of this change of heart and this 
consequent forgiveness — "real" forgiveness — 
in favor and fellowship with God; yet the rela- 
tion was abnormal, incomplete, unscriptural, 
unconstitutional. Hence he says, on page 



134 THK SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLKA 

208, Christian System, "Remission of sins, or 
coming into a state of acceptance, being one 
of the present immunities of the kingdom of 
heaven, cannot be scripturally enjoyed by any 
person before immersion Remis- 
sion of sins cannot in this life, be constitutionally 
enjoyed previous to immersion." 

That is, the regular, normal, scriptural, con- 
stitutional way to a full, a "plenary" remission 
of sins, and admission into the kingdom of 
God, is through the commission, "He that 
believethin me and is baptized shall be saved." 
Mr. Campbell makes this exceedingly clear in 
the preceding extract made from the Chris- 
tian System, thus: 

"So in coming into his kingdom on earth, and in 
order to the enjoyment of all the present salvation, the 
state of the whole person must be changed; and this is what 
we apprehend Jesus meant by his saying, 'Unless a man is 
born of water and spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of 
God;' and what we mean in distinguishing a change of 
heart, or views and feelings, from a change of state." 

Notice here his peculiar, guarded way of say- 
ing this — "coming into his kingdom on earth," 
not into his spiritual, heavenly kingdom; 
this was entered by his "change of heart" — 
"in order to the enjoyment of all the present 
salvation" — not the future salvation — "the 
state of the whole person" — not the moral- state 
of the soul. 



CAMPBKIvI/ ON REMISSION OF SINS 135 

That we may see clearly Mr. Campbell's 
views on the "change of state" produced by 
the act of baptism, the following quotation is 
made from his Christianity Restored, page 196: 

"A thousand analogies might be adduced to show that, 
though a change of state often, nay, generally results from 
a change of feelings, and this from a change of views; yet 
a change of state does not necessarily follow, and is some- 
thing quite different from, and cannot be identified with, a 
change of heart. So in religion, a man may change his 
views of Jesus, and his heart may also be changed towards 
him; but unless a change of state ensues, he is still unpar- 
doned, unjustified, unsanctified, unreconciled, unadopted, 
and lost to all Christian life and enjoyment. For it has 
been proved that these terms represent states and not feel- 
ings, condition and not character; and that a change of 
views, or of heart, is not a change of state. To change a 
state is to pass into a new relation, and relation is not sen- 
timent nor feeling. Some act, then, constitutional, by 
stipulation proposed, sensible and manifest, must be per- 
formed by one or both the parties before such a change can 
be accomplished." 

Thus Mr. Campbell illustrates, emphasizes 
and enforces the legal phase of this subject — 
the formal, outward act by which our relation 
in law is changed. Now to show that he just 
as clearly understood and taught the other side 
of this subject; that he believed in a moral 
"relation" and moral "state," distinct from, 
and independent of, that to which the act of 
baptism introduces us, we submit the following 
extracts from his writings: 



136 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"I cannot make any one duty the standard of Christian 
state or character, not even immersion into the name of the 
Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."— Mill. Har- 
binger, 1837, page 411. 

Again, in the same number of the Harbinger, 
page 507, tie says: 

"We have, in Paul's style, the inward and the outward 
Jews; and may we not have the inward and the outward 
Christians? for true it is that he is not always a Christian 
who is one outwardly, but all agree that he is, in the full 
sense of the word, a Christian who is one outwardly and 
inwardly. As the same apostle reasons on circumcision, 
so we could reason on baptism: 'Circumcision is not that 
which is outward in the flesh but circumcision is that of 
the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter (only), whose 
praise is of God, and not of man.' So is baptism. It is 
not outward in the flesh only, but in the spirit also. We 
argue for the 'outward' and for the 'inward' — the outward 
for men, including ourselves, the inward for God; but 
both the outward and the inward for the praise both of 
God and of men." 

And, again, in his debate with Mr. Rice in 
1843, P a £ e 493) Mr- Campbell says: 

"The outward act, then, is but the symbol of the transi- 
tion, inward and spiritual, by which our souls are bathed 
in that ocean of love, which purifies our persons, and 
makes them one with the Lord. . . . The kingdom of 
God is no party, no one party on earth. It is a spiritual 
kingdom, and is in the hearts of men." 

L,et us notice some of the foregoing declara- 
tions of Mr. Campbell. They are very explicit. 
Baptism he says "is not outward in the flesh 



CAMPBKLIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 137 

only, but in the spirit also. We argue for the 
'outward' and for the 'inward' — the outward for 
men y including ourselves — the inward for God; 
but both the outward and the inward for the 
praise both of God and of men." 

Here Mr. Campbell plainly states that the act 
of baptism was not designed to influence God, 
but to influence the man who submits to it, and 
those who witness it — "the outward for men, 
including ourselves." And yet he says there is 
a baptism that affects God — "the inward for 
God." This thought he extends from the in- 
dividual to the whole body of believers. Hence, 
in the last paragraph quoted above from his de- 
bate with Rice, he says, "The kingdom of God 
is no one party on earth. It is a spiritual 
kingdom, and is in the hearts of men." 

Dr. Robert Richardson, in his "Memoirs of 
A. Campbell," vol. 2, page 408, gives us an ac- 
count of an interchange of views between Mr. 
Campbell and a Baptist minister and editor, a 
Mr. Meredith of North Carolina, on the subject of 
remission of sins. In this we have]a photograph 
of Mr. Campbell's views on this subject that 
can not well be misunderstood. This was in 
1840. It will be seen in Mr. Campbell's utter- 
ances here that he still adhered to his position 
taken in 1823 i n ms debate with McCalla — that 
baptism is for the remission of sins only "in a 



138 THK SPIRITUAL SIDE) OF OUR PIvKA 

sense" — for the "formal" remission, and not for 
the "real" remission. 

Mr. Meredith, in speaking of his discussion 
with Mr. Campbell, and in reply to a corre- 
spondent who charged him with agreeing with 
Mr. Campbell, says: 

"That the Scriptures have connected baptism and remis- 
sion in some sense, it is worse than useless to deny. We 
are aware that attempts have been made to destroy the 
force of the passages referred to; but always with such suc- 
cess as to betray the nakedness of the land, and at the same 
time to illustrate the deplorable effects of partisan preju- 
dice. On this point Mr. Campbell has always had the 
advantage of his opponents. He has triumphantly 
quoted such passages as Acts 2:38, against which nothing 
has ever been offered better than a flimsy criticism or a 
palpable perversion of apostolic teaching. Here we have 
taken different ground from the rest of our brethren. We 
have promptly conceded to Mr. Campbell everything 
which candor seemed to demand. We have conceded that 
the evangelists and apostles, in the places referred to, 
meant what they said. We have conceded that, in a given 
sense, and under certain limitations and for certain ends, 
remission has been connected with baptism." 

Dr. Richardson tells us that Mr. Campbell 
replied to that as follows: 

4 'The above concessions contain all that we are anxious 
to maintain. If the evangelists and the apostles 'meant 
what they said' in the places referred to for proof by us, we 
ask no more; for it was always alleged by us that in a 
'given sense' and under 'certain limitations' and for 'cer- 
tain ends,' remission has been connected with baptism. 
He never went further than this; our opponents said we 



CAMPPBI.lv ON REMISSION OF SINS 139 

did, but no man can show by our own language that we 
have ever transcended the words above quoted from Mr. 
Meredith. ' ' 

This quotation from Mr. Campbell places the 
question of his true attitude on this subject be- 
yond all cavil or doubt. " We never went fur- 
ther than this; our opponents said we did, but 
no man can show from our language that we 
have ever transcended the words above quoted 
from Mr. Meredith." 

Now, what are the words quoted from Mr. 
Meredith? Simply these: That the apostles in 
speaking of baptism in connection with the re- 
mission of sins " meant what they said;" that 
these statements, however, are to be taken "in 
a given sense, ' ' and "under certain limitations ' ' 
and "for certain ends." 

Alexander Campbell never taught that bap- 
tism is for that real forgiveness which in the 
Father's heart is granted to the penitent sinner; 
but only for that legal, formal remission, ex- 
tended as a governmental measure for man's 
good; as an assurance to him, that in this act of 
obedience to the divine law, and of submis- 
sion to the divine government, he receives for- 
mal remission and formal admission into the 
kingdom of God "on earth." Real remission 
and real admission into the spiritual kingdom 



140 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

being attained on the gronnd of faith in Christ 
as the Son of the living God. 

Yes, the apostles "meant what they said" — 
baptism is for the remission of sins; this "in a 
given sense"— legal remission through the es- 
tablished ordinance of the established church; 
with the "limitation" — formal and not real par- 
don; and for "certain ends" — a pledge and as- 
surance that can come only through what Mr. 
Campbell styles, "sensible and manifest evi- 
dence." 

In commenting further on this article of Mr. 
Meredith, in the Harbinger for 1840, page 543, 
Mr. Campbell says: 

"When I speak of a change of state I contemplate the 
whole man, not a part of him. I teach, however, that a 
change of heart is a change of its state towards God; and 
without this change of heart a change of state and charac- 
ter is impossible. ' ' 

And, again, on pages 544, 545 he says: 

"I have from the first day in which I preached baptism 
for remission of sins, taught that without previous faith 
and repentance, baptism availed nothing — that a man was 
virtually, or in heart, in the new covenant and entitled to 
its blessings, when he believed and repented; but not for- 
mally nor in fact justified or forgiven till he put on Christ 
in baptism. . . . That some of my brethren, with too 
much ardor, through the force of strong feeling, and with- 
out all the premises before them, have transcended this 
view and these bounds, and given to baptism an undue 



CAMPBEUv ON REMISSION OF SINS 141 

eminence— a sort of pardon-procuring, rather than a par- 
don-certifying and enjoying efficacy, I frankly admit; but 
such has never been my reasoning nor my course. I 
appeal to my speeches in the McCalla debate in proof of 
this; and these contain the first promulgation of these 
views in America, or anywhere else known to me in the 
present century." 

Mr. Campbell here makes direct "appeal" to 
his debate with Mr. McCalla "in proof" of his 
true position on this subject. What was his 
position in that debate? It was this: "Paul's 
sins were really pardoned when he believed, 
and formally pardoned when he was bap- 
tized" — pardoned in the Father's heart when 
Paul's heart changed through faith and repent- 
ance; pardoned in law when he was baptized. 
And, by way of further explanation, Mr. Camp- 
bell adds: "A man is virtually, or in heart, in 
the new covenant and entitled to its blessings 
when he believes and repents; but not formally 
nor in fact justified or forgiven till he puts on 
Christ in baptism." 

He then further adds: "That some of my 
brethren, with too much ardor, through the 
force of strong feeling, and without all the 
premises before them, have transcended this 
view and these bounds, and given to baptism 
an undue eminence — a sort of pardon-procuring, 
rather than a pardon-certifying and enjoying 



142 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

efficacy, I frankly admit; but such has never 
been my reasoning nor my course." 

It is to enter a protest against this tendency 
to give to baptism "a sort of pardon-procuring 
rather than a pardon-certifying and enjoying 
efficacy" that this and the next preceding 
chapters are written. 

Two years later, in the Harbinger for 1842, 
beginning with page 145, is to be found an in- 
terchange of views on this subject between Mr. 
Campbell and Mr. Broadus, a distinguished 
Baptist minister of Virginia. This correspon- 
dence serves to throw much light upon the 
question of Mr. Campbell's views, at that time, 
concerning the distinction he made in 1823 ^ e " 
tween real and formal remission of sins; and 
as to whether his mind had undergone any 
change on this subject. We quote a paragraph 
from each bearing directly on this point. Mr. 
Broadus says: 

"It behooves me, in defining my position, to state my 
own view of baptism for remission of sins; for surely there 
is a sense in which remission of sins is connected with bap- 
tism. (Acts 2:38 and 22:16.) Well, then, I first prove 
that the sins of a believer — of every true believer, are actu- 
ally remitted. I do not here go into the argument; but 
only refer to the testimony of our Lord, before quoted — 'he 
is passed from death unto life.' Now, this being the case, 
the actual remission of sins cannot be suspended on the 
performance of a subsequent act — baptism, for instance; and 
in whatever sense remission of sins is to be considered as 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 143 

connected with this act, that sense, of course, must be such 
as will not conflict with the fact already established — 
actual remission through faith in Christ. Is there then a 
sense in which it may be taken in accordance with this 
fact? There is such a sense; and that is, to consider bap- 
tism as the visible certificate — the sensible pledge of remis- 
sion — the formal washing away of sins. And thus, that 
which had invisibly taken place, is now visibly declared or 
manifested." 

In a paragraph on pages 148, 149, Mr. 
Campbell makes direct reply to this as follows: 

"We agree that there is an 'actual and & formal remis- 
sion of sins.' This is the doctrine contended for in the 
flrst promulgation of baptism for the remission of sins 
made in the current reformation. See my debate with Mr. 
McCalla on that subject in 1823. It is there, perhaps, 
where this distinction is expressly stated, and formally 
drawn out for the first time in the pending controversy. 
It is true I never altogether liked the phraseology. It was 
the best I could then think of; and if properly defined, is, 
in my judgment, admissible. But I have seen it much 
abused, and perhaps a term less liable to abuse might be 
preferred to it." 

Let us now note some points in these state- 
ments of Mr. Campbell: 

1. He declares himself 111 accord with Mr. 
Broadus — "that there is an actual and a formal 
remission of sins." And he does this in a very 
emphatic and significant way — capitalizing the 
word actual as the more important, and ital- 
icising the word formal. He not only adheres 
to this distinction between real and formal re- 



144 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

mission, but lie claims to be the originator of 
this distinction, and refers to the McCalla debate 
in 1823 as tne time when it was "first promul- 
gated in the current reformation." He thus 
seeks to defend and maintain his consistency 
and his persistency in this distinction. 

2. He says that while he "never altogether 
liked the phraseology" employed, yet if "prop- 
erly defined" the distinction is "admissible." 

No receding then from the distinction between 
"real" remission of sins before baptism and 
"formal" remission in baptism. These declara- 
tions were made, bear in mind, in 1842, just one 
year preceding his famous debate with Mr. 
Rice. 

3. Mr. Campbell gives as the reason why a 
different "phraseology" might be preferred that 
he had "seen it much abused." Just what 
abuse he refers to here I am not sure; but I 
suppose it is to the same abuse Mr. Rice made 
of it in his debate with Mr. Campbell, claiming 
that inasmuch as there was conceded a real for- 
giveness in the mind of God, on the grounds of 
the sinner's penitent trust in Christ, therefore 
there was no value or necessity to be attached 
to a formal forgiveness in law. It was this 
very neglect and abuse of the "ordinances of 
Christianity" that Mr. Campbell had committed 
himself to reform. The abuse, by Mr. Rice, of 



CAMPBKIvIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 145 

Mr. Campbell's "phraseology," employed in 
making this important and scriptural distinc- 
tion, will appear for consideration in another 
section. 

4. Mr. Campbell suggests that "perhaps a 
term less liable to abuse might be preferred to 
it." He is not sure of this — "perhaps," he 
says, and further on, in the same article sug- 
gests the term "provisional" instead of actual. 
This would give us the terms provisional and 
formal remission, which still maintains the dis- 
tinction between that favor that comes to the 
sinner prior to baptism, and that which comes 
to him in baptism. 

Of course all God's promises are provisional. 
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou 
shalt be saved" — provisionally ; yet when he be- 
lieves he is morally in a saved state, though he 
may forfeit it by subsequent disobedience. 
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved," provisionally; yet when he is bap- 
tized he is legally in a saved state, though he 
may forfeit it by subsequent disobedience. To 
be in a saved state is to be forgiven in some 
sense. "He that believeth not is condemned 
already" — is not in a saved state, either morally 
or legally. The reader may agree with Mr. 

Campbell that the term "provisional" is "per- 
10 



146 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

haps less liable to abuse" than the term actual, 
or he may not. 

The writer of these lines could suggest a dif- 
ferent "phraseology" himself to express this 
distinction. Instead of saying, "Paul's sins 
were really pardoned when he believed, and for- 
mally pardoned when he was baptized," it 
might be said, Paul's faith placed him in a 
moral state of acceptance with God, and his bap- 
tism placed him in a legal state of acceptance, 
and that ^plenary remission of sins" as Mr. 
Campbell elsewhere expresses it, was the re- 
sult? Is there anyone who will deny this? 

We thus find that Mr. Campbell's attitude 
in 1842, the year prior to his debate with Mr. 
Rice, was the same on this question that it was 
in 1823. The time for any change in his views 
on this subject before that event is growing very 
short. But let us now hear from him again 
even later on and only a few months before the 
Rice debate. That debate occurred in Novem- 
ber, 1843. In the June number of the Harbin- 
ger for that year, beginning with page 265, 
Mr. Campbell publishes another article from 
Mr. Meredith, the Baptist minister and editor 
of North Carolina, with the utterances of which 
Mr. Campbell declares himself to be in full 
accord. In the article referred to Mr. Meredith 
makes a very strong and scriptural argument for 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 147 

the place of baptism in its relation to salvation 
in the Christian system. He contends earnestly 
that according to the gospel of Christ remission 
of sins is connected with and incomplete with- 
out baptism. Here him: 

"We are, therefore, unauthorized to say that any one is 
forgiven, or even that he is a true believer, until he has 
yielded a voluntary and sincere compliance with the pro- 
visions of the gospel, by putting on his Lord in baptism. 
That a person may not be- forgiven, in some sense of the 
expression, before this final and sealing act of compliance, 
we do not affirm. But that he cannot justly apply the 
promise to himself, as a Christian man, and on Christian 
principles, is a position which, in our view, cannot be 
fairly disputed." 

This is found on page 267. Again on page 
268 he writes: 

"That a person may not believe before baptism we do 
not affirm, of course, because a presumable faith is required 
to precede baptism, in the order of time. Nor do we 
affirm that a believer may not be, de facto, forgiven before 
baptism. But we say that the sinner can constitutionally 
lay claim to neither faith nor remission, until he has taken 
the oath of allegiance which is implied in the great seal- 
ing ordinance of the New Testament. ' ' 

And then after quoting a number of Script- 
ure texts connecting faith and baptism with 
remission and salvation, Mr. Meredith says of 
them: 

"The meaning, we apprehend, was this — that faith and 
baptism were prominent and indispensable parts of the 



148 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Christian system — that both were enjoined by the highest 
authority — that both -were indispensable to remission on 
gospel principles, and in conformity to gospel provisions 
— that he who complied in full had right to appropriate 
to himself the promise of salvation — and that he who did 
not thus comply, could be entitled to no such privilege." 

Let us now gather up the points in these 
extracts: 

i. A man cannot claim forgiveness until he 
is baptized. 

2. A man cannot claim to be a "true be- 
liever" until he is baptized. 

3. A man may be forgiven before he is 
baptized in some sense. 

4. A man may have faith in some sense 
before he is baptized. 

5. A man is not a "Christian man on 
Christian principles," until he is baptized. 

6. A man who "complies in full has a right 
to appropriate the promise." 

In short, baptism is necessary before a man 
can "claim" to be a believer, before he can 
"claim" to be forgiven, before he can "claim" 
to be a Christian "in full;" although he may 
be a believer in his own heart, although he 
may be forgiven in God's heart, and although 
he may be a Christian, both in his own heart 
and in God's heart before baptism. 

These are identically the views of Alexander 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 149 

Campbell as has been repeatedly and variously 
shown throughout this discussion. Now hear 
Mr. Campbell's cordial endorsement of these 
sentiments, Harbinger for June 1843, P a g e 
265: 

"I have no exception to take to the view of baptism 
given in this essay. It fully delineates our views. We 
have never gone further on this subject than he has gone 
in this essay and in the one that precedes it. ... I 
again say that I ex animo subscribe to the doctrine of 
baptism as now set forth by our friend Meredith." 

Thus stood Mr. Campbell in June, 1843. 

IN HIS DEBATE WITH RICE. 

The debate between Alexander Campbell and 
N. L,. Rice was held in Lexington, Ky., in 
the autumn of 1843. Mr. Campbell was then 
fifty-five years old. He had been a conspicuous 
figure in religious society as preacher, writer 
and reformer for twenty-five or thirty years. 
His views on all important points of Christian 
doctrine were, it is to be presumed, thoroughly 
established. The discussion was entered into 
with great caution and deliberation on both 
sides. One whole year was consumed in 
arranging propositions and preliminaries for 
the debate. The correspondence that brought 
about the debate was all published with the 
debate. This correspondence serves to throw 



150 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

much light on the attitude of the disputants 
toward the topics discussed. There were six 
propositions considered in the debate. We are 
at present to deal with but one of these, and 
that is the following: "Christian baptism is for 
the remissio7t of past sins." The question is 
now and here raised, in as emphatic a form as 
we can make it — What did Mr. Campbell mean 
when he affirmed that proposition? Did he 
mean, in the broad, unlimited, unqualified 
sense, as a certain school of thinkers in our 
own ranks now teach, that baptism is for both 
the real and formal remission of sins? Did he 
mean that there is no remission of sins, in any 
sense, before baptism; or did he mean that 
baptism is the outward, formal, legal act of 
obedience that completes the process of our 
transition from the world, and our induction 
into the kingdom of Christ? Did he mean 
anything different from his declaration on this 
subject in his debate with Mr. McCalla, twenty 
years before, in which he held that "Paul's 
sins were really pardoned when he believed — 
formally par do7ied when he was baptized?" 

Did he mean anything different from his 
utterances just the year before, in his answer 
to Mr. Broadus, referred to in the next preced- 
ing section, where he said: 

"We are agreed that there is an 'actual 



CAMPBBI.lv ON REMISSION OF SINS 151 

and a formal remission of sins' " — placing the 
word actual in capitals and the word formal in 
italics, quoting the phrase "actual and formal 
remission of sins" from Mr. Broadus — and then 
adding, "This is the doctrine contended for in 
the first promulgation of baptism for the remis- 
sion of sins made in the current reformation. 
See my debate with Mr. McCalla on that 
subject in 1823" — did he mean anything dif- 
ferent from this? 

In direct and unequivocal answer to all these 
questions it is here affirmed that Mr. Camp- 
bell's position on this subject in his debate 
with Mr. Rice, in 1843, was precisely the same 
that it was in 1823. 

We now undertake to make good this asser- 
tion. L,et it be understood, however, that 
while Mr. Campbell always held to the idea 
that baptism is for the "formal" remission of 
sins, he held and taught that this was a very 
important point in Christian doctrine and prac- 
tice. A capital point he made before the 
world in his plea for reformation was that the 
"ordinances" of Christianity were neglected; 
that they had been relegated to an unimportance 
wholly incompatible with the sacred Scriptures. 
In the correspondence preliminary to his debate 
with Mr. Rice Mr. Campbell says, page 17: 



152 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"Allow me, then, to say that the three great topics which 
have occupied public attention for some twenty-five years, 
so far as our purposed reformation is concerned, are: 

"1. The ordinances of Christianity. 

"2. The essential elements of the gospel itself. 

"3. The influence of human creeds as sources of alien- 
ation, schism and partyism in the church." 

The correspondence prior to this debate 
shows that Mr. Campbell was anxious to make 
an issue with Mr. Rice on the weekly observ- 
ance of the Lord's Supper, but failed to do so, 
the Presbyterians conceding that the weekly 
observance was legitimate and not unscriptural. 

But let us direct our attention now to the 
single point of Mr. Campbell's attitude on the 
design of baptism in this debate. 

The simple fact that Mr. Campbell affirmed 
that ( ' Christian baptism is for the remission of 
past sins 1 ' proves nothing on the special point 
of the present investigation, for the reason that 
whenever it was proved by the Scriptures that 
baptism was for either real or formal remission, 
the proposition was sustained. Mr. Campbell 
did not choose at that time to make the distinc- 
tion. It was not important for him to do so. 
He affirmed that baptism was for the remission 
of sins; and he proved it clearly by scriptural 
arguments that have never been answered. In 
the meanwhile, his opponent proved just as 
clearly from the Scriptures that sins are re- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 153 

mitted without and independent of baptism. 
Mr. Campbell complained that Mr. Rice did 
not follow him and answer bis arguments. Mr. 
Rice could not do it. Nor could Mr. Campbell 
answer Mr. Rice's arguments. His failure here 
is as patent as Mr. Rice's failure. When Mr. 
Campbell quoted the Scripture, "be baptized 
for the remission of sins," Mr. Rice could not 
answer; and when Mr. Rice quoted the Script- 
ure, "he that believeth is not condemned," 
Mr. Campbell could make no reply. And all 
this for the simple reason that one passage 
refers to formal remission and the other to real 
remission. 

Did Mr. Campbell have any mental reserva- 
tions on this subject in his discussion of this 
question? Did he understand that there was 
a real pardon on the ground of faith in Christ, 
and yet that there was a formal remission in 
law, that was of vital importance; and that it 
was to make this appear that he affirmed that 
"baptism is for the remission of sins?" We 
assert that he did; and trust to the debate for 
the proof of the facts. The preliminary corre- 
spondence shows that they had much difficulty 
in formulating the propositions to the satisfac- 
tion of both parties. It looked several times 
during the year's correspondence that the de- 
bate would fail because of their inability to 



154 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

agree on the exact wording of the propositions. 
The first proposition which Mr. Campbell sub- 
mitted on the design of baptism was as follows: 
"You affirm that there is no indispensable con- 
nection between baptism and the remission of 
sins, in any case; we affirm that there is." 

Notice the careful, cautious wording of the 
proposition — "We affirm that there is an indis- 
pensable connection between baptism and the re- 
mission of sins' ' — simply a "connection. ' ' This 
verbiage indicates a mental reservation, beyond 
doubt. And then, on page 15, he submits an- 
other proposition on the same subject, still 
more thoughtfully and cautiously worded: 
"There is a scriptural connection of some sort 
between baptism and the remission of sins of a 
believing penitent" — "scriptural connection of 
some sort." This guarded, limited way of 
speaking of the design of baptism is character- 
istic of Mr. Campbell's writings; but not char- 
acteristic of the writings of some other men, 
who have very inadequate and superficial views 
of Mr. Campbell's teachings on this subject, 
and of scriptural teaching as well. 

In this correspondence prior to the debate 
Mr. Campbell distinctly states that he stands 
ready to defend what he teaches and practices. 
"I will defend what I teach and practice, in 



CAMPBKIvIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 155 

plain and definite propositions," is his lan- 
guage. 

The eyes of our understanding will be still 
further opened on this subject by the third 
proposition he offers on the design of baptism, 
which is as follows: " Personal assurance of the 
remission of past sins, to a believing penitent, 
is the chief design of baptism; or, if you prefer 
it, baptism is for the remission of sins." 

It is impossible to mistake the meaning of 
Mr. Campbell here. When he says "baptism 
is for the remission of sins" he means, "the 
chief design of baptism is personal assurance of 
the remission of past sins." -If I buy a piece of 
property by positive contract and stipulations 
it is mine in equity, and the deed, which is 
executed to me afterwards, is the formal "as- 
surance" in law of my ownership. So Mr. 
Campbell held that baptism is the "assurance" 
in law of that "real pardon" granted to every 
"believing penitent" —baptism is the deed to 
his remission of sins. 

And that Mr. Campbell was clear in his own 
mind, and bold and confident in taking this 
position, is made most manifest in the follow- 
ing paragraph of this correspondence, page 28: 
"Christian baptism is designed to confer per- 
sonal assurance of the remission of sins on every 
legitimate subject; or, Christian baptism is for 



156 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

the remission of past sins. This is my doctrine 
on the subject, and this I will defend. You 
may use all that I have written upon the sub- 
ject, if you please; but such is the concentrated 
view which I propose." 

Here Mr. Campbell not only makes it clear 
that he holds to the doctrine of "baptism for 
remission" in a sense only, in a limited way, 
but he opens wide the door of investigation 
into all his writings, for his opponents to prove 
the contrary. And yet, we have preachers by 
the score in our own ranks who stand side by 
side with our religious opponents and quote the 
same passages from Mr. Campbell's writings to 
prove that he held to "baptism for the remis- 
sion of sins" in an unlimited sense, Mr. Camp- 
bell's protests to the contrary notwithstanding! 

Additional light may yet be thrown on Mr. 
Campbell's idea of the design of baptism by 
still another form in which he presents his 
proposition in this correspondence, page 39: 
"That to a proper subject, baptism is for in- 
duction into the Christian covenant, or for the 
remission of sins." It will be seen that all 
along Mr. Campbell wanted an explanatory 
clause connected with the statement, "baptism 
for the remission of sins." Why did he want 
this? Because he held to "baptism for the re- 
mission of sins" only in a qualified way. As 



CAMPBEUv ON REMISSION OF SINS 157 

he expressed it in 1840, in his allusions to Mr. 
Meredith: "It was always alleged by us that 
''in a given sense, and tinder certain limitations, 
and for certain ends, remission has been con- 
nected with baptism.' We never went further 
than this; our opponents said we did, but no 
man can show from our own language that we 
have ever transcended the words above quoted 
from Mr. Meredith." 

We are now prepared to consider this subject 
in the light of Mr. Campbell's utterances dur- 
ing his debate with Mr. Rice. 

It has already been made clear, beyond con- 
troversy, that, up to his opening speech, in his 
debate with Mr. Rice in 1843, Alexander Camp- 
bell held to the doctrine of "baptism for the 
remission of sins" only "in a sense," "with 
limitations" and for "certain ends." These 
are his own expressions. It now remains for 
us to look into that debate and ascertain whether 
Mr. Campbell maintained that same attitude 
then and there. When he stood up before the 
public to affirm and to prove by the Scriptures 
that * ' Christian baptism is for the remission of 
past sins " did he mean that it is for the "for- 
mal remission" of sins? Without hesitation it 
is affirmed that he did. Did he still adhere to 
the position he took, twenty years before, in 
his debate with Mr. McCalla, that '/Paul's 



158 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

sins were really pardoned when he believed?" 
We affirm that he did. To the task of making 
good these declarations let us now look. 
On page 439 Mr. Campbell says: 

"Our sixth argument is drawn from the words uttered in 
the ears of Paul by a messenger specially called and sent 
to him from the Lord. . . . Paul had inquired of the 
Lord what he should do. The Lord commissioned Ananias 
to inform him. He went to Paul's room and commanded 
him to rise, be baptized and wash away his sins. Now the 
washing away of his sins was certainly to be accomplished 
through the water of baptism, according to the language 
of the highest authority in the universe. Jesus Christ had 
so commanded. Neither his faith nor his repentance had 
washed away his sins, in the sense of the precept of the 
Messiah." 

To a man seeking honestly and fearlessly 
after truth there can be no difficulty in under- 
standing this argument of Mr. Campbell. He 
says: 

"Neither Paul's faith nor his repentance had 
washed away his sins in the sense of the precept 
of the Messiah." What precept of the Mes- 
siah? Hear Mr. Campbell: "Now the washing 
away of his sins was certainly to be accom- 
plished through the water of baptism, accord- 
ing to the language of the highest authority in 
the universe. Jesus Christ had so commanded." 
Commanded what? Commanded him to rise y 
be baptised and wash away his sins. ' ' 

There is "the precept of the Messiah," given 



CAMPBKIvIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 159 

through Ananias. This, says Mr. Campbell, 
is "the language of the highest authority in the 
universe." Again he says, "Jesus Christ had 
so commanded." 

But, again, when Mr. Campbell says, "Neither 
his faith nor his repentance had washed away 
his sins in the sense of the precept of the Mes- 
siah," he implies that Paul's faith and repen- 
tance had washed away his sins in some other 
sense. If not why should he say "in the sense 
of the precept of the Messiah?" Why not say, 
in the style of some preachers, "Paul's sins 
were not washed away in any sense until he was 
baptized." Simply because Mr. Campbell held 
now, in this debate with Mr. Rice, just as he 
did in his debate twenty years before with Mr. 
McCalla that "Paul's sins were really pardoned 
when he believed; yet he had no solemn pledge 
of the fact, no formal acquittal, no formal pur- 
gation of his sins until he washed them away in 
the water of baptism." 

And, again, he says, "When Ananias said to 
Paul, 'Arise and be baptized, and wash away 
thy sins, calling on the name of the Iyord,' I 
suppose Paul believed him and arose and was 
baptized, and washed away his sins. When he 
was baptized he must have believed that his 
sins were now washed away in some sense that 
they were not before. For if his sins had been 



160 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

already in every sense washed away, Ananias' 
address would have led him into a mistaken 
view of himself both before and after baptism." 
Mr. Campbell can never be understood or cor- 
rectly represented as to the design of baptism 
without that phrase, il in a sense " 

We do not forget his declaration in his cor- 
respondence with Mr. Meredith, in 1840, — "We 
never went further than this. Our opponents 
said we did; but no man can show from our own 
language that we have," etc. 

The way is now clear for another quotation 
from Mr. Campbell, in his debate with Mr. 
Rice, in which he positively reaffirms his posi- 
tion in the McCalla debate. L,et us hear him. 
Page 472: 

"Some twenty years ago, when preparing for a debate 
with Mr. McCalla, I put myself under the special instruc- 
tion of four evangelists, and one Paul, of apostolic rank 
and dignity. I had for some time before that discussion 
been often impressed with such passages as Acts 2:38; and 
that providential call to discuss the subject with Mr. 
McCalla compelled me to decide the matter to my entire 
satisfaction. Believe me, Sir, then I had forgotten my 
earlier readings upon the subject; and upon the simple tes- 
timony of the Book itself, I came to a conclusion alleged in 
that debate, and proved only by the Bible, which now ap- 
pears from a thousand sources to have been the cath- 
olic and truly ancient and primitive faith of the whole 
church." 

Attention is called to some explicit state- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 161 

ments of Mr. Campbell in this quotation. He 
says this call to debate with Mr. McCalla, 
" compelled me to decide the matter to my entire 
satisfaction." What matter? The design of 
baptism. And how did he decide it? "I came 
to a conclusion alleged in that debate. " What 
was that conclusion? That "Paul's sins were 
really pardoned when he believed and formally 
remitted when he was baptized." 

If there is any meaning in words, evidently 
Mr. Campbell now advocates the same views 
on the design of baptism that he promulgated 
in his debate with McCalla in 1823. As addi- 
tional proof of this the following paragraph on 
page 508, of his debate with Rice, is submitted: 
"In answer to some things said here and else- 
where, against our connecting baptism and sal- 
vation, in almost any sense, and on the sup- 
posed interference between this doctrine of the 
assurance of remission through baptism and 
justification by faith, I shall read," etc. 

Two points stand out clearly in this para- 
graph: 

1. That he connects baptism and salvation 
only ii in a sense" — the same cautious manner 
of limiting his meaning as observed elsewhere. 

2. That, taken in this "sense," there is no 
"interference between this doctrine of the as- 
surance of remission through baptism, and jus ti- 
ll 



162 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

fication by faith" — no interference between the 
ideas of tc real" forgiveness on the moral 
grounds of faith, and "formal" pardon on the 
grounds of a legal act of obedience. 

In this debate Mr. Campbell quotes exten- 
sively from Calvin and then declares himself in 
accord with Calvin on the relation of baptism 
and the remission of sins. He gives this from 
Calvin. Page 521. 

"Why then did Ananias say to Paul, 'Arise, and be bap- 
tized and wash away thy sin,' if sins are not washed away 
by the efficacy of baptism itself? I answer, we are said to 
receive or obtain that which our faith apprehends as pre- 
sented to us by the Lord, whether at the time that he first 
declares it to us, or when by any subsequent testimony he 
affords us a more certain confirmation of it. Ananias, 
therefore, only intended to say to Paul, 'That thou mayest 
be assured that thy sins are forgiven, be baptized: for in 
baptism the Lord promises remission of sins; receive this 
and be secure.' " 

Then Mr. Campbell says: "I agree with 
Calvin, as I understand him. We receive re- 
mission of sins in anticipation through faith, as 
Cornelius did; and with a clear assurance and 
solemn pledge through baptism." And after 
quoting still further from Calvin — "By baptism 
God promises remission of sins, and will cer- 
tainly fulfill the promise to all believers," etc., 
he again says: 

"I believe that when a person apprehends the gospel 
and embraces the Messiah in his soul, he has in anticipa- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 163 

tion received the blessing. His mind finds peace in the 
Lord. 'He rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory.' 
He anticipates the end of his faith— his actual emancipa- 
tion from sin. In his heart he dies unto sin, and by his 
burial and resurrection with the Lord, he formally receives 
what was at first received by faith in anticipation. ' ' 

Now Mr. Campbell knew very well that Cal- 
vin, like himself, held to the idea of "real" 
remission on the ground of faith in the I^ord 
Jesus Christ. And the gist of this whole mat- 
ter of his agreement with Calvin he expresses 
in the following sentence which he quotes and 
italicizes: 

"Through baptism we are said to receive that which our 
faith apprehends as presented to us by the Lord, '■whether 
at the time that he first declares it to us, or when by any sub- 
sequent testimony he affords us a more certain confirmation 
of it:" 

Plainly, then, they both maintain that sins 
are "first declared" forgiven when we believe, 
but by the "subsequent testimony" of baptism 
we receive "more certain confirmation of it." 
Baptism is the completion of the process, the 
fulfillment of the law of pardon begun in faith, 
and perfected in the overt act of obedience to 
the forms of law. 

These facts serve to give a clear and satis- 
factory interpretation of Mr. Campbell, on page 
557, where he says, "Peter inseparably con- 



164 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

nected repentance and baptism as necessary to a 
plenary remission of sins." 

Why did he say "plenary remission"? 
Simply because that, while he held that a man's 
sins are "really pardoned when he believes," 
yet it had been appointed that baptism should 
be observed as an "assurance" of "formal" re- 
mission; and this "formal" and "real" pardon, 
in his view taken together, constituted "ple- 
nary remission of sins. ' ' No other explanation 
of his use of this term, in this connection, ap- 
pears possible to us. 

But there are yet some other points to be no- 
ticed before we are done with this debate with 
Mr. Rice. 

The immediate point of investigation now 
before us is to determine whether Mr. Campbell 
maintained the same position in his discussion 
with Mr. Rice that he assumed in his debate 
with Mr. McCalla in 1823, xn regard to remis- 
sion of sins. In further proof of the fact that 
he did, attention is called to Mr. Campbell's 
bold announcement, made and repeated over 
and over again, that he stood on this subject 
side by side with all the great Protestant teach- 
ers and leaders. As an example of his re- 
peated utterances on this point the following 
is given 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 165 

"Let it be remembered then, that in addition to the ar- 
guments offered from the Scriptures, we have all the Greek 
and Latin fathers, without one exception the two great 
founders of Protestanism, the Westminster divines, and 
the Scotch Confession of Faith, down to the present cen- 
tury. The present century is really retrograding in the 
understanding and veneration of the ordinances, both of 
the communion and of the rite of initiation. America is 
behind the age, behind Christendom, on this subject." 
Page 471. 

With reference to this extract we note, i. 
That Mr. Campbell claims to have all the 
Greek and Latin fathers, and all the great 
authorities of Protestantism with him in affirm- 
ing that "baptism is for the remission of sins." 
Now no man knew better than Mr. Campbell 
that the "Greek and Latin fathers," and the 
"great founders of Protestantism" did not hold 
to "baptism for remission of sins," in precisely 
the same "sense." Yet he says they both sus- 
tain him. Sustain him in what? Why, sim- 
ply in affirming that "baptism is for the re- 
mission of sins." In what "sense" they each 
hold to this is another question. This shows 
clearly that when Mr. Campbell affirmed in 
that debate that "baptism is for the remission 
of sins," he affirmed it in a. general way as the 
Scriptures affirm it, as the fathers affirm it, 
and as the founders of Protestantism affirm it. 
The "sense" in which each of these parties 
holds to it is another question, to be deter- 



166 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

mined on other grounds than the simple affirm- 
ation of the proposition. Hence, when Mr. 
Campbell introduced the declaration of Peter, 
"be baptized for the remission of sins," the 
question immediately arose, in what "sense" 
does the apostle hold to this, in what "sense" 
does Mr. Campbell hold to it, and in what "sense" 
does Mr. Rice hold to it? The fact, however, 
that Peter's command, "be baptized for the re- 
mission of your sins," is in the same words as 
Mr. Campbell's affirmative proposition, "bap- 
tism is for the remission of sins," gave direct 
support to Mr. Campbell, and gave him an im- 
mense advantage in the discussion. Mr. 
Campbell was wise enough to foresee all this; 
and he was wise enough also to foresee that all the 
Greek and Latin fathers, and all the great 
founders of Protestantism used the identical 
language of his propositien, and that this gave 
strength to his position. All this, too, re- 
gardless of the question, in what "sense" did 
these several parties hold to "baptism for the 
remission of sins"? The question then of Mr. 
Campbell's meaning here has to be determined 
by other considerations. 

The second item noteworthy in the fore- 
going quotation from Mr. Campbell's speech is 
that he says, "America is behind the age, 
behind Christendom," and that "the present 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 167 

century is really retrograding in the under- 
standing and veneration of the ordinances, both 
of the communion and of the rite of initiation. ' ' 
From this it is plain to be seen that Mr. 
Campbell is aiming at a "restoration" of Chris- 
tianity in "letter and spirit" as he was wont to 
put it. He repeatedly said to Mr. Rice that he 
(Mr. Rice) was not in harmony with his own 
creed on this subject, while he, Mr. Campbell, 
was in harmony with it. And he made many 
quotations from various Protestant authorities 
explaining specifically this limited "sense" in 
which "baptism is for the remission of sins," 
and declared himself in harmony with this 
view of the subject. It is by gathering up 
these various and numerous declarations of Mr. 
Campbell that we are made to understand him 
on this question. And this is our present task. 

Some facts may here be noted with pro- 
priety: 

i. Mr. Campbell was never slow to change 
his mind on any important question when valid 
reasons existed for such change. 

2. He was not reluctant to proclaim to the 
world his change of position and to defend his 
attitude at any time. 

3. He did declare in unmistakable terms, in 
1823, in h^ debate with Mr. McCalla that, 
"Paul's sins were really pardoned when he be- 



168 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

lieved, and formally remitted when he was 
baptized." 

4. He never announced to the world any 
change of his position on that subject. 

5. He did declare in his debate with Mr. 
Rice, impliedly, that he had not changed. 
Hear him: 

"The gentleman has sought to entangle this subject by- 
making out inconsistencies between my present views and 
my former writings. Whenever the time comes that it be- 
comes my duty to defend myself on that account, I shall be 
forthcoming, I hope. One thing I can say, in all conscience, 
that I feel myself prepared to sustain every prominent view 
that I ever published on the subject of the Christian reli- 
gion." 

6. That Mr. Campbell's position on remis- 
sion of sins was among his prominent issues, if 
not the most prominent issue he made with the 
religious world of his day, is a well known fact. 

7. Mr. Campbell frequently, as has been 
shown, referred to his position taken in 1823, 
in his McCalla debate, always reaffirming his 
position there taken. 

8. Mr. Rice made the square issue with 
him of inconsistency or of change of position, 
by reading from the McCalla debate Mr. Camp- 
bell's declaration, "Paul's sins were really 
pardoned when he believed and formally re- 
mitted when he was baptized." He empha- 
sized this in such a way as to make the occasion 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 169 

imperative for Mr. Campbell to state that his 
views on this point had undergone a change, if 
such was the fact. 

Referring to Mr. Campbell he said: "He 
declared his belief that Paul's sins were really 
pardoned when he believed. He does not pro- 
fess to have changed his views on this 
subject." And among other impertinences he 
offered to "shake hands" with Mr. Campbell 
over this sentiment, and have "something like 
Christian union." 

Why did Mr. Campbell not stop all this ad 
captandum by saying, "That was twenty years 
ago, Mr. Rice, and my views have changed on 
that subject?" Simply because his views had 
not changed. Why did he not shake hands 
with Mr. Rice on the proposition that, "Paul's 
sins were really pardoned when he believed?" 
Because he held that in addition to that, "bap- 
tism was for the remission of sins" — the "for- 
mal" remission; and was there to affirm that, 
and to make it good. "The present century," 
he says, "is really retrograding in the under- 
standing and veneration of the ordinances." 
And he had said in the preliminary correspon- 
dence of the debate, "The three great topics 
which have occupied public attention for some 
twenty-five years, so far as our proposed re- 



170 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

formation is concerned, are trie ordinances of 
Christianity," etc. 

To this task he had committed himself, and to 
this purpose he held himself steadily, through- 
out the discussion of this proposition without 
being diverted by Mr. Rice's imaginary incon- 
sistencies. 

We are to bear in mind, in connection with 
all this, that it was distinctly understood, in the 
preliminary arrangements for this debate, that 
Mr. Rice was to use Mr. Campbell's writings, 
and to hold him responsible for his previous 
utterances. On the part of Mr. Rice it had 
been said, "We reserve, of course, the right to 
explain the meaning of the questions by your 
publications." And Mr. Campbell had said, 
"You may use all that I have written upon the 
subject, if you please." Could Mr. Campbell 
have said that, if he knew his mind had under- 
gone a change on the subject of "baptism for 
the remission of sins?" 

With considerable care we have examined 
Mr. Campbell's utterances in the Rice debate, 
in order to determine his real attitude on the 
design of baptism. If there is any reliance 
to be placed on language, and any on logic, 
we certainly have found him, throughout 
that discussion, precisely where he stood in 
1823 — "Paul's sins were really pardoned when 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 171 

he believed, and formally pardoned when he 
was baptized." 

We now raise the question pointedly, — What 
reasons have ever been adduced to prove that 
Mr. Campbell changed his mind on this subject 
and abandoned that position? 

In making answer to that question, attention 
is called to the following facts: 

i. As mentioned before, Mr. Campbell never 
avowed any change of views on this subject. 
But he did avow himself ready to defend and 
maintain "every prominent view" he "ever- 
published on the Christian religion." And 
this was said in reply to Mr. Rice's charge of 
"inconsistency" or "change" of views on this 
very subject. 

2. The fact that Mr. Campbell did give 
great emphasis to the idea of remission in bap- 
tism, while he did not thus emphasize the idea 
of forgiveness on the ground of faith, does not 
prove that he abandoned the latter. The rea- 
son for his course in this is evident, as before 
stated. There was no necessity for his con- 
tending for "real pardon." The religious 
world generally accepted that doctrine. But 
there was necessity that the doctrine of "formal 
pardon" in baptism should be advocated, ex- 
plained and defended: that "baptism for the 



172 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

remission of sins" should be set before the 
world in its true light and importance. 

3. But the fact that Mr. Campbell used 
such strong language in advocating "baptism 
for remission;" that he dwelt upon it with such 
great emphasis, is held to show that he had 
abandoned the idea of "real pardon" prior to 
baptism. To put this whole thing in a nut- 
shell, and expose the futility of that argument, 
we here place two declarations of Mr. Camp- 
bell side by side — two declarations made in 
the McCalla debate — made at the same time 
and place, as follows: 

"The water of baptism, then, formally washes away our 
sins. The blood of Christ really washes away our sins. 
PauPs sins were really pardoned whe?i he believed; yet he 
had no solemn pledge of the fact, no formal acquittal, no 
formal purgation of his sins until he washed them away in 
the water of baptism." — McCalla Debate, Page 135. 

"He appointed baptism to be, to every one that believed 
the record given of his Son, a formal pledge on his part of 
that believer's personal acquittal or pardon: so significant 
and so expressive, that when the baptized believer rises out 
of the water, is born of water, enters the world a second 
time, he enters it as innocent, as clean, as unspotted as an 
angel. His conscience is purged from guilt, his body is 
washed with pure water, even the washing of regenera- 
tion. "—McCa lla Debate, Page 137. 

Now, if the strong expressions of Mr. Camp- 
bell, in favor of l 'baptism for remission," uttered 
in after years, prove that he had abandoned the 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 173 

idea of u real pardon" prior to baptism, then 
the strong expressions above (and he never 
uttered any stronger) prove that he did not 
hold it in the very hour in which he uttered it. 

Along this line of thought and immediately 
connected with it, we now refer to an ingenious 
effort of Mr. Rice to make it appear that Mr. 
Campbell had either contradicted himself, or 
that he had changed on the subject. On page 
524 he makes a quotation from Mr. Campbell's 
writings in the Christian Baptist — a paragraph 
I have before noticed — as follows: "In the an- 
cient gospel, it was first belief in Jesus; next, 
immersion; then, forgiveness; then, peace with 
God; then, joy in the Holy Spirit." 

And on this Mr. Rice comments thus: 

"Now observe, in the ancient gospel, we are told, it was 
first belief, then immersion, then forgiveness; but, in the 
debate with McCalla, Mr. Campbell tells us, in the case of 
Paul it was first faith, then real pardon, then immersion, 
then formal pardon! I leave those who can to reconcile 
these contradictory views. ' ' 

It is remarkable that any intelligent man, 
any man familiar with Mr. Campbell's writings, 
should not be able to "reconcile" those two 
statements, and to see that there is nothing 
"contradictory" in them. And it is all the 
more remarkable that any intelligent man, 
familiar with Mr. Campbell's writings, among 



174 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

the Disciples, should be under trie necessity of 
concluding that, in this instance, Mr. Campbell 
had either changed his mind or was "contra- 
dictory." 

In the case where he says, "It was first be- 
lief; then, immersion; then, forgiveness, Mr. 
Campbell was generalizing and considering for- 
giveness of sins in its final, full, completed 
sense, in its "plenary" sense, as he elsewhere 
expressed it; but, in the latter case, he was 
analyzing and separating "real" and "formal" 
remission. It is a fact that Mr. Campbell gen- 
erally spoke of remission of sins in its "plenary" 
sense, when legally completed and made full in 
the act of baptism. But that he held to "real" 
remission before baptism, and to the idea that 
"formal" remission, in baptism, inducted into 
a fuller enjoyment of spiritual life is just as 
clear. To make this evident the reader is cited 
to a statement of Mr. Campbell in this debate 
with Rice, page 494, where, in speaking of the 
force of such expressions as baptized "into 
Moses," "into Christ," "into remission," "into 
one body," etc., he says, "In every instance 
there is a transition from one state, profession 
or place into another. The person has suffered 
an immersion for something into the possession 
or enjoyment of which he now enters, or enters 
more fully than before." Here he repeats, in 



CAMPBBIylv ON REMISSION OF SINS 175 

another form, his "plenary" remission of sins. 

When Mr. Campbell said, "In the ancient 
gospel it was first belief in Jesus, then immer- 
sion, then remission," he was speaking of re- 
mission in its comprehensive sense, as involving 
both "real" and "formal" remission. A case 
similar and parallel to this is found in his rea- 
soning about conversion. It is well known to 
those familiar with his writings that he held 
that, in many instances of New Testament 
usage, the term conversion comprehended bap- 
tism. Where, for instance, in Acts 3:19, Peter 
says, "Repent therefore and be converted 
that your sins may be blotted out," Mr. Camp- 
bell contended that convert here involved 
baptism. And in such passages as Acts 15:19, 
where it reads: "My sentence is, that we 
trouble not them, which from among the Gen- 
tiles are turned (converted; unto God," he 
held that the whole process — faith, repentance 
and baptism — was comprehended. 

Now, if Mr. Campbell had said, "In the an- 
cient gospel it was first hearing the gospel, then 
conversion, then remission of sins," and after- 
wards in a more analytical way said, "It was 
first hearing the gospel, then conversion of the 
heart to the I^ord, then real pardon, then con- 
version in baptism, then 'formal' and 'ple- 
nary' remission," would there be anything con- 



176 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

tradictory in his two declarations? Would it 
prove that he had changed his mind on this 
subject? This is precisely the way Mr. Rice 
reasoned with regard to Mr. Campbell's posi- 
tion on "real" and "formal" remission. 

In discussions Christian men sometimes seem 
to be striving to make the differences between 
opponents as great as possible, whereas they 
should rather seek to reduce them to as small a 
degree as possible. We do not hesitate to say 
that, in the whole range of Bnglish literature, 
there cannot be found better examples of mere 
logomachy than there is in the debate between 
Mr. Campbell aud Mr. Pace on the design of 
baptism, and the operation of the Holy Spirit. 
If you eliminate from their speeches all their 
readings of and references to Mr. Campbell's 
writings, and the writings of John Calvin and a 
few others there will be but little left. And the 
differences between them appear very small. 
As an illustration and verification of this fact, 
before closing this investigation of that debate, 
attention is directed to a condensed and clear 
statement of each on the immediate point be- 
fore them — the nature and design of baptism. 
Mr. Rice says, pages 465 and 468: 

"Faith unites us spiritually to Christ, and gives us an 
interest in the plan of salvation; baptism is the external 
ordinance by which we become visibly united to him, and 



CAMPBBIvIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 177 

bound to devote ourselves to his service. Baptism is the 
external sign, faith is the internal grace. The latter unites 
us to Christ really, the former connects with him formally; 
but the piety of the heart is, in the Word of God, always 
represented as the great matter. . . . There is a vast 
difference between the sign and seal of regeneration and 
regeneration itself; and between the sign and seal of re- 
mission and remission itself. The believer is first par- 
doned, and then receives the sign and seal. Baptism is a 
pledge, so to speak, that God will forgive the sins of those 
who comply with the conditions set forth in his Word. But 
the sign or seal is not the thing or document, nor essential 
to it." 

And then on page 493 Mr. Campbell says: 

"The outward act, then, is but the symbol of the transi- 
tion, inward and spiritual, by which our souls are bathed 
in that ocean of love, which purifies our persons, and 
makes them one with the Lord. . . . All outward or- 
dinances {and all ordinances are outward}, prayer, praise, 
the Lord's Day, the breaking of the loaf, fasting, etc., 
have each a peculiar grace or intercommunion with Christ 
in them. ... Each of these is a symbol of something 
more spiritual than itself. Prayer is but the embodiment 
of something more inward than the heart. But without 
these symbols spiritual life, health, comfort, can never be 
enjoyed. Hence, to enter into the sanctum sanctorum, the 
inner temple of spiritual enjoyment and Christian life, 
baptism is essentially necessary, preceded by a vigorous 
faith and genuine repentance, and fixed resolves of obey- 
ing from the heart the mandates of the Great King." 

It will require both a logical and a theological 

genius to so diagram the foregoing sentiments 

of these two disputants as to make their vital 

differences manifest. 
12 



178 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Nothing is more evident, we have repeatedly 
said, in the writings of Alexander Campbell 
than the fact that he believed that baptism was 
for the remission of sins. His deliverances on 
this subject are numerous and strong. He be- 
lieved that the normal, scriptural way to the 
full and complete, or as he expressed it, "ple- 
nary" remission of sins, was through faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and baptism into the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of the 
Holy Spirit. He held, as he said, that faith 
and baptism are "equally necessary" to this 
regular, normal induction into the kingdom of 
God. But did he hold that they are of equal 
importance? No man understood more clearly 
that there is a difference between the outward, 
sensible act of immersion in water, and the in- 
ward, moral, and spiritual condition of the 
heart that symbolizes itself in this outward act. 
No man understood better than Mr. Campbell 
the essential difference between the intrinsic 
value and importance of "that which is 
within," and "that which is without." 
The strong, bold declarations of Mr. Camp- 
bell in his previous writings on the design 
of baptism were seized upon by Mr. Rice in 
their debate to discount Mr. Campbell as a spir- 
itual teacher. His religious opponents and 
critics have habitually done the same thing. 



CAMPBEUv ON REMISSION OF SINS 179 

And in many instances his own brethren have 
used these same passages in his writings to sup- 
port a mistaken view of his teachings, and have 
thus presented to the world in many cases a 
grotesque caricature of both Mr. Campbell's 
ideas and of the Christianity of the New Tes- 
tament. And the persistent, dogmatic spirit 
which both these friends and foes have ex- 
hibited in this work of misapprehension and 
misrepresentation is remarkable. It is yet to 
be explained how these parties — these friendly 
and unfriendly critics — could all overlook and 
ignore the clear, distinct, anti-legalistic, and 
spiritual views that abound in his writings. 

To gather together the severe denunciations 
of our Savior, such as "ye generation of vi- 
pers," "whited sepulchers,''' "ye hypocrites," 
u how shall you escape the damnation of hell," 
"ye devour widows' houses," "the blind lead 
the blind;" etc., — to array all such utterances 
together and overlook the other side of his 
teachings — his tears, his sympathy; his "Oh, 
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have 
gathered you;" his "Father, if it be possible, 
let this cup pass;" his "Father, forgive them, 
they know not what they do," etc., — to view 
the former without the latter would give us the 
legal side of Christ's nature, and a view of 
his righteous indignation toward sin; but upon 



180 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

the whole it would be a gross perversion of 
truth and of character. We must take every- 
thing involved into the account for a just esti- 
mate of men. And the fact that Mr. Campbell 
was strong and positive in his teachings on 
"baptism for remission of sins" does not do 
away with the other fact that he held to for- 
giveness of sins in another sense, a moral for- 
giveness on the ground of the heart's penitence 
and trust in God. That this is so will appear 
in the fact that, in his debate with Mr. McCalla 
in 1823, while he distinctly declared that 
"Paul's sins were really pardoned when he be- 
lieved," yet at the same time and in the same 
connection, as before shown, he said, "Baptism 
is an ordinance of the greatest importance and 
of momentous significance. Never was there 
an ordinance of so great import or design. . . . 
The Lord said, 'He that believeth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved.' Again, he tells Nicode- 
mus, 'Unless a man is born of water and the 
spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ' 
Peter places baptism in the same exalted place, 
'Repent,' says he, 'and be baptized, everyone 
of you, for the remission of sins.' Ananias 
said to Paul, 'Arise, and be baptized and wash 
away thy sins.' . . . Peter finishes the 
grand climax in praise of baptism: 'Baptism 
doth also now save us.' . . I know it will be 



CAMPBEIvIv ON REMISSION OF SINS 181 

said that I have affirmed that baptism saves us. 
Well, Peter and Paul have said so before me," 
etc. Now, did Mr. Campbell ever utter anything 
more emphatic on this topic than the above? 
And yet in this very same speech he says: 
"Paul's sins were really pardoned when he be- 
lieved, and formally pardoned when he was bap- 
tized." This shows that Mr. Campbell re- 
garded this * 'formal" remission, obtained in 
the act of baptism, as a very important item in 
the Christian system; and this again explains 
the reason of his earnest contention over the 
design of Christian baptism, without renounc- 
ing his belief in the "real pardon" before bap- 
tism. 

To emphasize this truth, attention is now 
called to a bold, clear statement of Mr. Camp- 
bell in his debate with Mr. Rice, page 519: 
"/ do not make baptism absolutely essential to 
salvation in any case.' 1 '' 

That sentence throws much light on the 
present inquiry we are making after Mr. Camp- 
bell's true position on the design of baptism; 
and especially as to whether his views had 
undergone any change. 

Now, that Mr. Campbell held, in common 
with all intelligent Christian men, that real 
remission of sins was absolutely essential to 
salvation in every case, does not need to be 



182 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE) OF OUR PLEA 

argued. When, then, he said, "I do not make 
baptism absolutely essential to salvation in any 
case," he said, "I do not make baptism abso- 
lutely essential to real remission of sins in any 
case." This is the inevitable, logical conclu- 
sion. Mr. Campbell was a logician. His 
logical power was both intense and immense. 

No baptism no remission. 

No remission no salvation. 

Therefore, no baptism no salvation. 

Where is the fallacy, Mr. Campbell? "In 
the major premise" — 'No baptism no remis- 
sion?' — "/ do not make baptism absolutely es- 
sential to salvation in any case. ' ' 

Again, remission of sins is essential to sal- 
vation. 

Baptism is essential to remission of sins. 

Therefore, baptism is essential to salvation. 

Where is the fallacy, Mr. Campbell? 

"In the minor premise" — 'Baptism is essen- 
tial to remission of sins' — tl 7 do not make bap- 
tism absolutely essential to salvation in any 
case." 

Again, real remission of sins is absolutely 
essential to salvation in every case. 

Baptism is not absolutely essential to real 
remission of sins in any case. 

Therefore, baptism is not absolutely essential 
to salvation in any case. 



CAMPBKU, ON REMISSION OF SINS 183 

Where is trie fallacy, Mr. Campbell? 

"No fallacy there, the premises are both 
true and the conclusion correctly drawn" — "/ 
do not make baptism absolutely essential to sal- 
tation in any case. ' ' 

But, Mr. Campbell, did you not teach that 
baptism is essential to the remission of sins, 
in some sense? " Certainly I did. Baptism is 
essential to the K formaP remission of sins; and 
to the full and complete Scriptural idea of 
remission; to ''plenary* remission, as I expressed 
it in my debate with Mr. Rice, and in the 
Christian System." 

No "real" remission of sins, no salvation. 

No "formal" remission, no real remission. 

Therefore, no "formal" remission, no salva- 
tion. 

Where is the fallacy there, Mr. Campbell? 
"In the minor premise — 'No formal remission 
no real remission.' While baptism is essential 
to 'formal' remission, it is not essential to 
'real' remission, and consequently not essential 
to salvation" — "/ do not make baptism abso- 
lutely essential to salvation in any case. ' ' 

Another question, Mr. Campbell, if you 
please. When you said in your Christianity 
Restored'. "A man may change his views of 
Jesus, and his heart may also be changed 
towards him, butunles a change of state ensues, 



184 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

he is still unpardoned, unjustified, unsanctified, 
unreconciled, unadopted, and lost to all Chris- 
tian life and enjoyment," what did you mean? 
"I was emphasizing the importance of baptism 
for the ''formal remission of sins S Without this 
no man can become a member of the church of 
Jesus Christ; nor exercise any rights or privi- 
leges as such. While he is married to Christ 
in heart, and Christ is married to him in heart; 
yet, he is legally unpardoned, unjustified, un- 
sanctified, unreconciled, unadopted, and lost 
to all Christian life and enjoyment. 

''See my explanation of this in my reply to 
Mr. Broadus' criticism of that passage, in 
Harbinger for 1842, page 149, as follows: 

" 'I have said that the unbaptized is still in an unpardon- 
ed, unjustified, unsanctified, unreconciled, unadopted, and 
lost state. Well, when we hear your interpretation of the 
matter, this formidable proposition has lost almost all its 
terror. For you admit that the unbaptized is formally 
unpardoned, unjustified, unsanctified, etc; for he has not 
a "sensible pledge" a "visible certificate, " nor a "formal 
remission" until baptized. Now, unless a person can be 
formally justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, etc., 
when he is not formally pardoned, we are both of the same 
opinion on this point also, viz. — that formally, sensibly, 
and visibly the unbaptized is unpardoned, unjustified, un- 
sanctified, etc., etc' " 

Then, Mr. Campbell, you always held to 
"baptism for the remission of sins," as you ex- 
pressed it in your correspondence with Mr. 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 185 

Meredith in 1840, only "in a given sense, 
and with certain limitations and for certain 
ends?" 

"We never went further than this; our opponents said 
we did, but no man can show from our own language that 
we have ever transcended these words above quoted." — 
Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, Page 408. 

One more question, Mr. Campbell. Have not 
your own brethren, in some instances, misap- 
prehended and perverted your views on this 
subject? 

"That some of my brethren, with too much ardor, through 
the force of strong feeling, and without all the premises 
before them, have transcended this view and these bounds, 
and given to baptism an undue eminence — a sort of pardon- 
procuring, rather than a pardon-certifying and enjoying 
efficacy, I frankly admit; but such has never been my rea- 
soning nor my course." — Harbinger, 1840, Page 545. 

"These have been most prejudicial to the cause of truth, 
and have given a pretext to the opposition for their hard 
speeches against the pleadings of reformers. . . . When 
any doctrine is professed and taught by many, when any 
matter gets into many hands, some will misuse, abuse and 
pervert it. This is unavoidable. We have always feared 
abuses and extremes." — Memoirs, Page 288. 

HIS LATER EXPRESSIONS. 

In 1852 Alexander Campbell published his 
book on Baptism. He was then sixty-four 
years old. That he was, at that time, thor- 
oughly matured and settled in his religious 



186 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

views will be conceded by all. This book is a 
strong, condensed statement and presentation 
of his views on all the important issues he had 
made with the religious world. "Christian 
Baptism With Its Antecedents and Conse- 
quents," is the title of the book. 

We invite attention to some of Mr. Camp- 
bell's utterances, in this, his last work of mak- 
ing books, in order to show that he here 
expresses himself in the same general way as 
to the design of baptism, and its relation to 
remission of sins, that he did in the debate 
with McCalla in 1823, an( ^ continuously on 
down through the intervening years. 

Mr. Campbell was a born theologian. His 
acuteness to perceive and to discriminate, and his 
power to grasp and to formulate thought, were 
of a very high order. He was strong, original 
and striking in his deliverances of both tongue 
and pen. Nor was he ever more supremely 
regnant, in the conscious exercise of his noble 
gifts, than when he recognized the distinction, 
so plainly set forth in the New Testament and 
in all authoritative Protestant literature — the 
distinction between that forgiveness which 
flows from the Heavenly Father's heart toward 
the returning prodigal, on the moral grounds 
of his repentance, and that legal remission 
promised, in the overt act of obedience in bap- 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 187 

tism; and especially when he labeled and desig- 
nated that distinction by the terms "real" and 
"formal" remission of sins. Mr. Campbell 
never let go that expression — "formal remis- 
sion of sins in baptism." While the world 
around him would simply speak of "forgiveness 
of sins;" and while many of his own brethren 
would speak in a flippant, unqualified way of 
"baptism for the remission of sins," he habitu- 
ally spoke of it as "baptism for the formal re- 
mission of sins." L,et us not forget that fact; 
there is light here. 

There is another phrase peculiar to Mr. 
Campbell in his writings on this subject. This 
has been frequently referred to before. It is 
the phrase, u tn some sense." This cautious, 
qualifying expression was used by him in the 
McCalla debate in 1823, an( ^ * s current through- 
out his later writings. It is very significant, 
and marks a striking contrast between Mr. 
Campbell's style of handling this subject, and 
that of some of his own brethren. 

L,et us now look at some of Mr. Campbell's 
declarations in his book on baptism. In speak- 
ing of the phrase, "For the remission of sins," 
as connected with the blood of Christ, and with 
baptism, he says, on page 250: "It does not, 
however, follow that they are in the same sense 
'for the remission of sins.' But that they are, 



188 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

in some sense, for remission of sins, can be 
denied by no man," etc. 

And then, on page 256, he explains in what 
"sense" baptism is related to remission, as 
follows: 

"The influence which baptism may have upon our spir- 
itual relations is, therefore, not because of any merit in the 
act as our own; not as a procuring cause, but merely as an 
instrumental and concurring cause, by which we 'put on 
Christ,' and are united to him formally, as well as in 
heart," etc. 

The "sense," then, in which "baptism is for 
remission" is still, with Mr. Campbell, the 
"formal remission." This is precisely as he 
put it in 1823. 

Again, on same page he says: 

"Baptism is a solemn pledge and a formal assurance on 
the part of our Father, that he has forgiven all our 
offenses — a positive, sensible, solemn seal and pledge that, 
through faith in the blood of the slain Lamb of God, and 
through repentance, or a heartfelt sorrow for the past, and 
a firm purpose of reformation of life, by virtues of the 
great Mediator, we are thus publicly declared forgiven, 
and formally obtain assurance of our acceptance and par- 
don," etc. 

Notice carefully Mr. Campbell's expressions, 
showing the "sense" in which he holds to bap- 
tism for remission — "a formal assurance" — 
"thus publicly declared forgiven, and formally 
obtain assurance." 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 189 

Then on page 258 he is very definite and 
pointed. Hear him: 

"By universal consent, baptism was understood to be a 
symbol of moral purification — a washing away of sin in a 
figure, declarative of a true and real remission — a formal 
and definite release of the conscience from the feeling of 
guilt and all its condemnatory power. ' ' 

What does he say baptism is? U A symbol 
of moral purification." But what is "moral 
purification?" It is the remission of sins on 
account of faith in Christ. This "moral puri- 
fication," this "real pardon" exists first, and is 
then "symbolized" in baptism. Or, as Mr. 
Campbell expresses it in the same paragraph — 
"declarative of a true and real remission." 
"True and real" remission first, and then "for- 
mally declared" in baptism. Hence, when 
Mr. Campbell says, in this same discussion, 
"Baptism is for the true, real and formal remis- 
sion of sins," he can only mean, baptism being 
the final act, completes the whole process of re- 
mission; and, as he says in another sentence, is 
"declarative of a true and real remission" — the 
"formal" is declarative of the "real;" or bap- 
tism is, in this "sense," "for the true, real and 
formal remission of sins." 

Hence, on same page, he refers to the case of 
Saul thus: "Ananias said to Saul, 'Arise and 
be baptized and wash away thy sins.' A most 



190 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

unguarded and unjustifiable form of address, if 
baptism had not for its design the formal and 
definite remission of sins." 

Thus we see that Mr. Campbell began with 
this "formal remission" as the "sense" of bap- 
tism in 1823, an d is still clinging to it in 1852. 

Turn now to page 272 and read as follows: 

"Baptism, according to the Apostolic Church, is both a 
'sign' and a 'seal' of remission of all former sins. In this 
'sense' only does 'baptism now save us.' " 

In a still stronger way Mr. Campbell puts 
this case, on same page 272, thus: 

"Circumcision is said to have been, in one case at least, 
a sign and a seal. Baptism, i?i the same sense, and in a 
similar case, is also both a sign and a seal." 

What "case" was this? "And Abraham 
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the 
righteousness of the faith which he had yet 
being uncircumcised" (Rom. 4:11). How is 
this? Abraham was first accounted justified — 
forgiven on the ground of faith. He then "re- 
ceived the sign of circumcision, a seal of the 
righteousness of faith." First forgiven, then 
circumcised. 

What does Mr. Campbell say about this? 
"Baptism, in the same sense, and in a similar 
case, is also both a sign and a seal." That is, 



CAMPBELL ON REMISSION OF SINS 191 

we are first really pardoned and then baptized. 
And our baptism is to us for the "formal" re- 
mission of sins; and is a "sign and a seal of the 
righteousness of faith" — the forgiveness on 
account of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Or, to express it in Mr. Campbell's own lan- 
guage at the bottom of page 272: 

"A seal of the righteousness of faith, or the remission of 
all our past sins, through faith in his blood, then, and in 
that act, publicly expressed and confirmed." 

Now, we affirm that Mr. Campbell never 
more plainly and explicitly expressed himself 
on this distinction between real and formal 
remission, even in the McCalla debate. 

The last public utterance of Mr. Campbell on 
this subject, so far as his biographer, Dr. Rich- 
ardson, gives any account, was in an address 
Mr. Campbell made in New Orleans in 1857 — 
an "address delivered by special request on 
Christian Baptism," he says. Mr. Campbell, 
in writing afterwards concerning that address, 
says that he maintained the position, "that a 
formal remission of sins was and is the end and 
design of baptism." — Memoirs Vol. 2, page 
629. 

Thus we see that it was in the end as it was 
in the beginning with Mr. Campbell. In 1823 
he said, "Paul's sins were really pardoned 



192 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

when he believed, yet he had no formal acquit- 
tal, no formal purgation of his sins, until he 
washed them away in the water of baptism." 
And in 1857 he said, "A formal remission of 
sins was and is the end and design of baptism." 
This topic will receive further elucidation 
under another phase of it in Chapter VII. 



VI. 

THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT. 

Words are signs of ideas — symbols of thought. 
Language, oral or written, is a medium through 
which one intelligent being holds communion 
with another. Spirit is conscious, intelligent 
personality. The Bible contains the ideas, 
thoughts and will of God conveyed in written 
characters to man. The Holy Spirit inspired 
prophets, apostles and evangelists to thus com- 
municate the divine will to human understand- 
ing. " No prophecy ever came by the will of 
man; but men spake from God, being moved by 
the Holy Spirit." (3 Peter 1:21.) "God, 
having of old time spoken unto the fathers in 
the prophets by divers portions and in divers 
manners, hath at the end of these days spoken 
unto us in his Son." (Heb. 1:1.) "Which 
things also we speak, not in words which man's 
wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth, 
combining spiritual things with spiritual 
words." (1 Cor. 2: 13.) 

We have here, then, the clear and important 

distinction between the "things" of the 

Spirit and the Holy Spirit himself. The Savior 

says: "The words which I speak unto you are 
13 (193) 



194 THB SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

spirit and are life." (John 6:63.) But this is 
metaphorical language. Words are not spirit, 
nor are words life. As signs of ideas they have 
an influence on spirit and they have an effect 
on life. One spirit through the medium of lan- 
guage can arouse another spirit to feeling and 
move another life to action. And the degree 
of this influence depends on the nature of the 
subject treated, and the force with which it is 
presented to the receiving mind. Christ "spoke 
as one having authority." "No man ever 
spake like this man." His themes of life and 
immortality, of duty and destiny, of time and 
eternity, being of transcendent importance, and 
he being master of his themes, no wonder that 
he should say: "The words which I speak unto 
you are spirit and life" — they are potent. And 
yet the great Teacher never committed his les- 
sons to writing. He left no record of his 
words. He was a peripatetic, a teacher by the 
wayside. The task of formulating and record- 
ing his lessons of wisdom was left to his succes- 
sor, the Holy Spirit. 

And this brings us back to our theme — "The 
Word and the Spirit." The word is a thing, 
the Spirit is a person. The word is material, 
the Spirit is immaterial. The word is the sign 
of ideas, the Spirit is the author of them. The 
word symbolizes thought, the Spirit thinks. 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 195 

The word expresses feeling, the Spirit feels. 
The word reveals, the Spirit is the revelator. 
The word is the passive means, the Spirit is the 
active agent. 

The distinction, then, between the word and 
the Spirit is, from every point of view, radical 
and vital. The Holy Spirit is a divine per- 
sonality. The ineffable glory of the Godhead 
manifesting itself as Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit transcends our powers of comprehension, 
but not our powers of faith. We can appre- 
hend and believe the sublime truth that the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the 
u one God," and yet officially operating and 
manifesting himself differently in the creation, 
the redemption and the glorification of man. 
We can apprehend what we cannot comprehend 
and believe what we cannot understand. 

Religion, in its higher forms of thought and 
experience, eludes the grasp of the logical vise. 
Syllogisms are not to be formed and applied to 
matters that lie wholly in the sphere of faith. 
In mute reverence but implicit confidence we 
accept some things that we can neither measure 
nor weigh, neither analyze nor classify. The 
beauty and sweetness of childhood are seen in 
its unfaltering trust in its mother in all that she 
says and does. And the Christian's faith in 
God, and those spiritual verities that lie beyond 



196 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

the reach of sense and demonstrative knowledge 
are the chief elements and adornments of his 
spiritual life. "Seeing him who is invisible;" 
"looking at the things which are not seen;" 
"seeing not, yet believing" — here is the beauty 
and the strength of our holy religion. 

The development of the "one God" into 
Father, Son and Holy Spirit was a matter of 
time, of ages, of intelligence and experience on 
the human side. Jehovah, God, Almighty, 
etc., were the names applied to the Supreme 
Being in the earlier history of mankind. The 
ideas or the designations of "Father," "Son" 
and "Holy Spirit" rarely occur in the Old Tes- 
tament Scriptures. Occasionally they are 
thrown out as a flash of lightning upon the 
dark pathway of the untutored race — untutored 
in spiritual ideas — and as hints of a better cov- 
enant and a brighter day. It is in the New 
Testament that the ideas of Father, Son and 
Holy Spirit are revealed in their sublime and 
unspeakable mysteries and glories. We are 
chiefly dependent upon the Bible for our knowl- 
edge upon this subject. 

The Holy Spirit operates — operates on matter, 
operates on mind, operates on the heart. Des- 
ignating his energy from the nature of the 
object upon which it is expended, we may say 
the Holy Spirit exerts a physical, an intellectual 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 197 

and a moral power. Viewing the subject from 
the nature of the Holy Spirit himself, the energy 
which he expends, the power exerted in every 
instance is the same; it is spiritual power. 
Since he himself is spirit his power is essen- 
tially spiritual. Nor are we able to understand 
and explain the difference in the nature of the 
power put forth by the Spirit in his operations 
on matter and his operations on mind 
and on hearts. While we accept the plain 
Scriptural teaching on this subject, it is 
unwise and unprofitable to engage in spec- 
ulation, for who "by searching can find out 
God?" 

THE SPIRIT OPERATES ON MATTER. 

In the history of creation written by Moses, 
in the first chapter of Genesis, we read, "And 
the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the 
waters." And Job 26:13 declares, "By his 
Spirit he hath garnished the heavens." Are 
these the expressions of a poetic fancy, or are 
they to be. taken as statements of facts? If the 
latter, then the Spirit operated on matter. By 
his plastic power the primordial creation was 
transformed from chaos to order and beauty. 

Just what kind of energy was employed by 
the divine Artizan and Artist we are not in- 
formed, and we presume not to say. 



198 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

In Job 33:4 we read, "The Spirit of God 
hath made me; and the breath of the Almighty 
giveth me life." That power then that creates 
matter and imparts to it life, is here assigned 
to the Spirit of God. 

The Holy Spirit not only gives life, but he 
destroys it. In Acts 5:3 we read, "But Peter 
said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart 
to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back 
part of the price of the land? . . . Thou 
hast not lied unto men but unto God. And 
Ananias hearing these words fell down and 
gave up the ghost." Afterwards Peter said to 
Sapphira his wife, "How is it that you have 
agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? 
. And she fell down immediately at his 
feet, and gave up the ghost." We learn from 
this Scripture that to "lie unto the Holy 
Spirit," is to "try the Spirit of the Lord," and 
to "lie unto God." And the remarkable death 
of these two dissimulators was effected through 
this divine power — the Spirit. 

The blasted fig tree is another instance of 
life blighted by the same Spirit of the Lord. 
"Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward 
forever. And immediately the fig tree with- 
ered away" (Matt. 21:19). 

In the account of the conversion of the 
eunuch given by Luke, we are told that after 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 199 

Philip had baptized the eunuch "The Spirit of 
the L,ord caught away Philip, and the eunuch 
saw him no more" (Acts 8:39). Evidently in 
removing Philip from the presence of his new 
convert to the gospel, the Spirit operated on 
the body of the preacher — "caught away 
Philip." When a child is kidnapped — 
"caught away" from its home and its parents, 
there is the exercise of physical power; and to 
distinguish such energy of the Spirit of God as 
we have been considering from that employed 
by him in influencing the thoughts, or the 
feelings of men, we call it physical power, 
although it is put forth by a being that is him- 
self pure spirit — the Holy Spirit. 

The translation of the. bodies of Enoch and 
Elijah from earth to heaven would seem to be- 
long to the same category of things. So with 
the healing of diseases of the body by Christ 
and the apostles; and the restoring to life of dead 
bodies. "But if the Spirit of him that raised 
up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he 
that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall 
also quicken your mortal bodies through his 
Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11). 
This is a crucial passage. The language is so 
clear and explicit as to admit of no doubt. The 
Spirit "dwells" in the Christian. This same 
Spirit shall "quicken' ' — make alive — our 



200 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

''mortal bodies." The same thought is again 
laid before us by Paul in i Cor. 15:51, "We 
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the 
last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the 
dead shall be raised, incorruptible, and we 
shall be changed," the living shall be 
"changed," the "dead shall be raised in- 
corruptible." What a mighty work! What 
a mighty Spirit! Spirit operating on matter — 
creating it, transforming it, transmuting it, 
translating it, animating it, and de-animating 
it! 

Is all this difficult of belief? Why should it 
be? Why should it be thought an incredible 
thing that the "eternal Spirit" of God can oper- 
ate on matter? The human spirit operates on 
matter. Our bodies are subject to our spirits. 
We command and they obey. My hand writes 
these lines because my spirit orders it so to do. 
And all our movements, all locomotion is the 
result of will power. Breathing is a natural, 
involuntary act, yet the mind orders it to stop, 
and it stops. The flow of saliva can be in- 
creased or decreased by concentrating the mind 
on that point. Digestion may be promoted or 
retarded, and so of the organic functions gener- 
ally, by a mental effort on the part of the sub- 
ject, to facilitate or obstruct the course of 



THE) WORD AND THE SPIRIT 201 

nature. All intelligent physicians seek to se- 
cure the co-operation of the patient's mind 
with their material remedies. A pill is given 
to produce a certain effect. The patient earn- 
estly desires the result, and concentrates the 
thoughts upon it; and this aids the material or- 
gan to respond to the material remedy. Physi- 
cians sometimes relieve patients by giv- 
ing nothing but bread pills, relying wholly 
upon the operation of the patient's own mind 
upon his own body. So well established are 
the foregoing facts that there has arisen re- 
cently a school of physicians who practice 
medicine upon the principle of "Suggestive 
Therapeutics," relying largely, if not chiefly, 
upon the patient's own mind to so operate on 
his own physical constitution as to secure relief 
from disease. And it is this same principle 
extended in various directions, and to still fur- 
ther degree, that is employed in all these 
modern schools of "Divine Healing," "Faith 
Cure," "Mind Cure," "Christian Science," 
etc. That there is a residuum of truth in all 
of them, and a fundamental law of nature to 
which they must all be referred, and by which 
they must all be explained, no longer admits of 
doubt. 

This power of the human spirit to operate 
upon material substances, and to modify the 



202 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

conditions of matter, is not limited to self, to 
its own physical nature, its own body; but that it 
can thus operate upon other material substances 
and modify their existence is equally evident. 
The writer has seen his own dining table, a 
heavy oak structure weighing perhaps a hun- 
dred and fifty or two hundred pounds, rise 
bodily into the air at the bidding of six per- 
sons — my own family and two guests, and 
under circumstances where fraud was impossi- 
ble. This levitation of matter through the in- 
fluence of mind is known and practiced even 
by school children in many cases. 

Thomas J. Hudson has written a book, "The 
Law of Psychic Phenomena, 1 ' a book every 
man intelligent enough to think along these 
lines ought to read. It is especially commended 
to preachers. It is an honest and a very mas- 
terly effort made by Mr. Hudson to establish 
the fundamental law underlying all these modern 
"divine healing" fads. In doing this he has 
availed himself of the results, not only of his 
own personal experience and observation, and 
extensive general reading of the literature of 
the various subjects discussed, but of the re- 
sults of scientific investigation on the part of 
the several organized societies of Europe and 
America especially bent on discovering the 
truth in reference to all psychic phenomena. 



THE) WORD AND THE) SPIRIT 203 

"Without accepting all his views, it may be said 
that Mr. Hudson has rendered a service to the 
world by publishing this strong, manly, orig- 
inal and independent treatise, which he calls, 
"A Working Hypothesis for the Study of 
Hypnotism, Spiritism, Mental Therapeutics, 
etc." A few sentences from this book will oc- 
casionally be quoted in this investigation. As 
bearing on topics already introduced in this 
article, the following quotations are made: 

"That there resides in mankind a psychic power over 
the functions and sensations of the body, and that that 
power can be invoked at will, under certain conditions, 
and applied to the alleviation of human suffering, no 
longer admits of a rational doubt. The history of all 
nations presents an unbroken line of testimony of the 
truth of this proposition." (Page 144.) 

''The subjective mind, or entity, possesses physical 
power; that is, the power to make itself heard and felt, 
and to move ponderable objects." (Page 208.) 

"The man who denies the phenomena of spiritism to-day 
is not entitled to be called a skeptic, he is simply ignorant; 
and it would be a hopeless task to attempt to enlighten 
him. I shall indulge in the hope, however, that by ex- 
plaining the origin of the phenomena on rational princi- 
ples, and thus removing them from the realm of the super- 
natural, those who now assume to be skeptical may be 
induced to investigate for themselves." (Page 206.) 

In Chapter 19 of his book, Mr. Hudson 
gives us an account of a test he personally 
made in company with a friend — a test of what 
was called spirit phenomena, but which he 



204 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

claimed could be explained upon ordinary prin- 
ciples of mind, force and action without the 
agency of disembodied spirits. On page 275 
he says: 

"A few years ago, a conversation which the writer had 
with a celebrated Union general, led to an agreement to 
visit a prominent slate-writing medium, then sojourning in 
the city of Washington. Among other things it was agreed 
that the general should be the sitter, and that he should 
be guided entirely by my suggestions relative to the course 
which he should pursue before and during the seance. My 
object, which he fully understood and appreciated, was, 
first, to convince him of the genuineness of the physical 
phenomena, — that is, that the slate-writing was performed 
without corporeal contact of the medium with the pencil, 
and without the shadow of a possibility of the employment 
of legerdemain; and, secondly, to demonstrate the utter 
impossibility of the phenomena being attributable to dis- 
embodied spirits." 

In giving a detailed account of this experi- 
ment, he says on page 279: 

"The medium seized two slates, washed them, submitted 
them for inspection, and placed them upon the center of 
the table before us, with a bit of black pencil between 
them. He then invited us to place our hands upon the 
slate with him. This we did, whereupon the writing be- 
gan. We could distinctly hear the pencil move with a 
gentle, but rapid, scratching sound. In a few minutes 
three raps were heard, apparently made by the pencil be- 
tween the slates. This was said to be the signal announc- 
ing the completion of the message. The slates were then 
separated, and several messages were found inside. 

"Two more slates were then seized by the medium, 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 205 

washed, submitted for inspection, and placed upon the 
table as before. Our hands were again placed upon the 
slates, and the writing began. After it had progressed for 
a few moments, the medium announced that the spirits 
wanted to write in colors. He thereupon arose, walked to 
the mantelpiece, and produced a box of colored craj'ons, 
all in small bits, about the size of the piece of black slate 
pencil with which the writing had been done. We were 
about to open the slates to allow the insertion of the cray- 
ons, when the medium said that it was unnecessary, as 'the 
colors could be got from the outside just as well.' The 
box of crayons was accordingly placed beside the slate, and 
the writing was resumed. After a short interval the signal 
was given that the messages were finished. The General 
thereupon very carefully separated the slates, to see if 
there were any colored crayons concealed therein. Only 
the bit of black slate pencil was there, but four or five dif- 
ferent colors had been used in writing the messages." 

Concerning this test, Mr. Hudson, on page 
281, writes thus: 

"The conclusions which are inevitable may be summed 
up as follows: — The slate writing was done without pl^si- 
cal contact with the pencil, either by the medium or any 
one else. It all occurred in broad daylight. The slates 
were not handled by the medium, except to wash them and 
to place his hands upon them (in all cases but one) while 
the writing was going on. The slates were not for an in- 
stant out of sight of the sitter during the whole seance, nor 
were they out of his custody during that time, after they 
were washed by the medium. They were then carefully 
inspected by the sitter, the pencil was placed between 
them by the sitter, they were tied together by 
the sitter, and opened by him after the writing was 
finished. In short, there was no chance for fraud or leger- 
demain, and there was none." 



206 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

This careful experiment, Mr. Hudson says, 
was made for the double purpose of demonstrat- 
ing the reality of these remarkable physico- 
mental phenomena, and that they were not pro- 
duced by disembodied spirits. The case has 
been introduced here to exemplify the truth 
that there is an occult power of the human 
mind which enables it to operate on material 
substances. Additional examples, without num- 
ber, and well attested, could be gathered from 
the abundant literature on this subject. But 
this would be a superfluous task. 

Now, if the spirit of man has this power, may 
we not easily believe the Spirit of God has it, 
and that my proposition is true — The Holy 
Spirit operates on matter? 

THE SPIRIT OPERATES ON MIND. 

Why not? Are not two spirits more closely 
allied by nature than are spirit and matter? 
The differences — the inherent differences be- 
tween matter and spirit — create a chasm between 
them that cannot exist between two spirits. 
These differences are radical. The one is 
material, the other is not material; the one 
thinks, the other does not think; the one feels, 
the other does not feel; the one is self-conscious, 
the other is not self-conscious. If "kindred 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 207 

drops mingle into one," and if "one touch of 
nature makes all trie world akin," then we 
would expect two spirits to come into touch 
with each other, into sympathy and fellowship 
with each other, by a law of congeniality, with 
much greater facility than is possible between 
matter and spirit. God is the Creator of mat- 
ter, but he is the "Father of spirits." And by 
the force of parental and filial ties of relation- 
ship; by all the tendencies of intelligent and 
sympathetic unity in rational and moral beings, 
we would expect bonds of union and commun- 
ion between the Holy Spirit and the human 
spirit. 

The Spirit of God operates on human minds 
— operates on them through the medium of 
words, of spoken and written language, and 
operates on them without this medium. The 
Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God, 
through which the Spirit operates on our minds, 
were written by men upon whose minds the 
Spirit operated without the medium of words. 
It was necessary for the Holy Spirit to touch 
the human mind in some way, to impart to it 
inspiration and thought, in order to enable it to 
write the Bible. Cannot the infinite Spirit of 
God communicate with the spirit of man 
without the medium of language, spoken or 
written? That one human mind can oper- 



208 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ate on another without the medium of words 
is a well established fact. To deny this is to 
appear ignorant. It may help us in our 
present investigations to consider this fact a 
moment. The technical term employed to 
designate this department of scientific thought 
is telepathy. The Standard Dictionary thus 
defines telepathy: "The sympathetic affection 
of one mind or person by another at a dis- 
tance, through a supposed emotional influence 
and without any direct communication by the 
senses ; thought-transference . ' ' 

Mr. Hudson, after giving this subject much 
careful thought and patient investigation, lays 
down this proposition, on page 191 of his 
book: "There is inherent in man a power which 
enables him to communicate his thoughts to 
others, independently of objective means of 
communication. ' ' 

And again, on page 120, he speaks plainly 
thus: "Suggestion is not necessarily limited to 
oral communication. Nor is it necessarily a 
communication which can be taken cognizance 
of by means of any of the objective senses. 
Telepathic communication is just as much a 
suggestion to the subjective mind as is oral 
speech. Indeed, telepathic suggestion is often 
far more effective than objective language.' ' 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 209 

On page 177 he continues the same subject 
in the following manner: 

"There is inherent in mankind the power to communi- 
cate thoughts to others independently of objective means 
of communication. The truth of this general proposition 
has been so thoroughly demonstrated by the experiments 
of members of the London Society for Psychical Research 
that time and space will not be wasted in its further eluci- 
dation. For a full treatment of the subject the reader is 
referred to 'Phantasms of the Diving,' in which the results 
of the researches of that Society are ably set forth by 
Messrs. Edmond Gurney, F. W. H. Meyers and Frank Pod- 
more. It is hardly necessary to remind the intelligent 
reader that the methods of investigation employed by these 
able and indefatigable laborers in the field of psychical re- 
search are purely scientific, and their works are singularly 
free from manifestations of prejudice or of unreasoning 
skepticism on the one hand, and of credulity on the other. 
It is confidently assumed, therefore, that the power of 
telepathic communication is as thoroughly established as 
any fact in nature. Now, telepathy is primarily the com- 
munication of subjective minds, or rather it is the nor- 
mal means of communication between subjective minds. 
The reason of the apparent rarity of its manifestation is 
that it requires exceptional conditions to bring its results 
above the threshold of consciousness." 

We pause here in this quotation to call at- 
tention to this last statement — "It requires 
exceptional conditions to bring its results above 
the threshold of consciousness." Two human 
spirits then may really hold communion with 
each other without being conscious of the fact. 

The spirit of A may influence the spirit of B 
14 



210 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

without B's knowing it. May not the Holy 
Spirit then influence the spirit of man without 
man's knowing it? But we proceed with the 
quotation from Mr. Hudson: 

"There is every reason to believe that the souls, or sub- 
jective minds, of men can and do habitually hold commun- 
ion with one another when not the remotest perception of 
the fact is communicated to the objective intelligence. It 
may be that such communion is not general among men; 
but it is certain that it is held between those who, from any 
cause, are en rapport." 

And is it not just as certain, and just as rea- 
sonable that there will be communion between 
the Spirit of God and the spirit of man when 
they are en rapport — when the human spirit so 
adjusts itself morally to the divine government 
that the highways of this spiritual commerce 
will be open and free for the "communion of 
the Holy Spirit?" (2 Cor. 13:14.) 

But let us hear Mr. Hudson further: 

"The facts recorded by the Society for Psychical Research 
demonstrate that proposition. Thus, near relatives are 
oftenest found to be in communion, as is shown by the 
comparative frequency of telepathic communications be- 
tween relatives, giving warning of sickness or of death. 
Next in frequency are communications between intimate 
friends. Communications of this character between com- 
parative strangers are apparently rare." 

Numerous examples, culled from the litera- 
ture of this subject, are given us in Mr. Hud- 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 211 

son's book. We reproduce here only two or 
three to illustrate trie topic we are now discuss- 
ing. On page 182, Mr. Hudson says: 

"There are not wanting facts to show clearly that the 
power exists to convey telepathic messages to sleeping per- 
sons, causing them to dream of the things that the agent 
desires. As long ago as 1819, Councilor H. M. Wesermann, 
of Dusseldorf, recorded a few experiments of his own 
which show this to be true. The following items are repro- 
duced in 'Phantasms of the Diving,' from the original 
article. 

" ' First Experiment, at a Distance of Five Miles. — I 
endeavored to acquaint my friend, the Hofkammerath G. 
(whom I had not seen, with whom I had not spoken, and 
to whom I had not written for thirteen years), with the 
fact of my intended visit, by presenting my form to him in 
his sleep, through the force of my will. When I unex- 
pectedly went to him on the following evening, he evinced 
his astonishment at having seen me in a dream on the pre- 
ceding night.' " 

Then follow several other similar experi- 
ments which we omit, and pass on to others 
of messages communicated to parties while 
awake. On page 185 this instance is given: 

"The Rev. W. Stainton Moses was the percipient, and 
he corroborates the following account, written by the agent: 

" 'One evening I resolved to appear to Z at some miles' 
distance. I did not inform him beforehand of the in- 
tended experiment, but retired to rest shortly before mid- 
night with thoughts intently fixed on Z, with whose 
room and surroundings I was quite unacquainted. I soon 
fell asleep, and awoke next morning unconscious of any- 
thing having taken place. On seeing Z, a few days after- 



212 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

wards, I enquired, "Did anything happen at your rooms 
on Saturday night?" "Yes," replied he, "a great deal 
happened. I had been sitting over the fire with M, 
smoking and chatting. About 12:30 he rose to leave, 
and I let him out myself. I returned to the fire to finish 
my pipe, when I saw you sitting in the chair just vacated 
by him. I looked intently at you, and then took up a 
newspaper to assure myself I was not dreaming; but on 
laying it down I saw you still there. While I gazed with- 
out speaking, you faded away.' " 

Two examples of this power of trie human 
mind, culled from the circle of the writer's 
own personal acquaintances, will be added to 
the foregoing. T. R. H., a minister of the 
gospel, a very intelligent, cultured, Christian 
gentleman, now residing in the state of Iowa, 
and who was formerly a citizen of England, 
related to me the following experience in his 
own family. Himself, wife and one child, a 
grown son, constituted the family. The son 
had preceded the parents to America, and was 
residing in New York. The father and mother 
were still in England. After months of sepa- 
ration, and without any communications from 
the son at all calculated to awaken the moth- 
er's heart with unusual solicitude, she strangely 
felt that her son needed financial assistance, 
and insisted on her husband's sending him some 
money. But he, feeling that it was all a mere 
fancy on the part of the mother, and it not 
being very convenient at that time to do so, he 



THE) WORD AND THE) SPIRIT 213 

was inclined to waive the matter. The mother, 
however, was not to be put off. She insisted 
and persisted until the father secured a draft 
and enclosed it to the son. On comparing 
notes afterwards it was found that the son, 
having been disappointed in some business 
ventures, was in great financial straits, and 
was thinking of writing to his parents for 
assistance, and subsequently did write such a 
letter and took it with him to the post-office to 
mail. Before mailing it, however, he enquired 
for a letter for himself, and received his 
father's letter enclosing the draft. In relat- 
ing the case to me the father said: "I don't 
know how to explain that except on the ground 
of mental telepathy." Were this an isolated 
case, we might dismiss it easily by saying it 
was a mere coincidence. But in the presence 
of so many similar, and even more pointed 
and remarkable instances of the transmission 
of thought, we incline to believe that in this 
case the son's intense mental anxiety and 
homeward thoughts were, in some way, im- 
pressed on the mother's mind, even while one 
was in America and the other in England. 

The other case was related to me by Mrs. J. 
M. V., the wife of a well known preacher now 
residing in Missouri, and relates to her own 
father, to her husband and herself. At my re- 



214 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

quest Mrs. V. gave to me the following written 
account of the incident: 

"Some years ago the wonderful work of the clairvoyant 
was brought to my notice by the following incident. An 
officer was engaged in the finding of a stolen horse. After 
a few days of fruitless search it happened that a clairvoy- 
ant came to the town. The friends of this man jokingly 
suggested that he consult this noted woman as to the 
whereabouts of the stolen horse. Simply for the amuse- 
ment there might be in it, the officer went to the clairvoy- 
ant and she located the horse for him; and as he after- 
wards learned, correctly too. After this was told she asked 
if she might not tell him something of his own life. The 
officer consented, and she proceeded to tell many things 
of his past life as accurately as though she had known 
him personally. Possibly what astonished the man most 
of all, and what seemed very remarkable, was what she 
told him concerning his daughter's marriage. This man 
was a widower and had an only daughter on whom he had 
depended very much ever since his wife's death. This 
daughter had lately become engaged to be married; and 
the father's heart was sad at the thought of losing her. 
Now this wonderful mind reader told him that he was very 
sad and the reason was that he was about to lose his 
daughter. She told him how many years since his wife 
had died and how much this girl was to him. She told 
him that he was perfectly willing that she should marry, 
and was pleased with her choice, but the thought of giving 
her up made him very sad. 

"She accurately described the man the daughter was to 
marry, telling that it would be his second marriage, giving 
his age, his profession, and even the date of the prospec- 
tive wedding. The surprise of this officer was indeed 
great. Not a soul knew of this engagement save the con- 
tracting parties and the father; and lo, he found one who 
could read the secret from his mind." 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 215 

While it would be an easy task to multiply 
examples of this power of the mind; and while 
it would probably be interesting and instructive 
to at least some readers, yet these are deemed 
sufficient for our purpose to make it appear that 
there is inherent in the human mind such 
power. All minds do not possess it to the same 
degree; nor can they always exert it to the same 
extent. Some conditions are more favorable for 
its exercise than others. 

Now if the finite human spirit, without un- 
derstanding the philosophy of these phenomena, 
without being able to recognize and reduce to 
scientific classification the principles and laws 
underlying and governing them, can yet exert 
such power — can operate on other spirits, can- 
not the Holy Spirit, infinite in his understand- 
ing of the subject, operate on the minds of 
men? That the Holy Spirit has both the wis- 
dom and the power adequate to such a work will 
not be denied. 

HOW THE SPIRIT OPERATES ON MIND. 

We have said and repeat here that the Holy 
Spirit operates on the mind both through the 
medium of words and without such medium. 
This subject is not without its difficulties, 
its obscurities and even its mysteries. How 
impressions made by oral words upon the 



216 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ear or by written characters upon the eye are 
transmitted along the auditory and the optical 
nerves to the brain and leap off its grayish 
matter into the mind — how they bridge this 
chasm between the material and the immate- 
rial — how physical impressions on the brain 
are transmuted into thought during this leap 
from matter to mind — is mysterious if not mys- 
tical. The fact, however, is so obvious and so 
general that we do not hesitate to believe it. 
Is it any more difficult to believe that mental 
impressions and suggestions may be transmitted 
by the Spirit of God to the human mind — trans- 
mitted directly and without the aid of the phys- 
ical nerves? A few years ago men would not 
have believed it possible to transmit a message 
in an instant across the continent by a wire. 
Xow messages are being sent without the aid of 
wire. 

That the Holy Spirit directly, without the 
intervention of words, illuminated and inspired 
the prophets and apostles to speak and to write 
the will of God concerning human affairs is ac- 
cepted by all believers in the Bible. And that 
this influence of the Spirit in no way impaired 
the individual freedom and responsibility of the 
person inspired is equally evident. 

Moving upon a lower plane than that of in- 
spiration in its supernatural sense, may not the 



THE) WORD AND THE SPIRIT 217 

Spirit operate upon the minds of men without 
interfering with their personal freedom and re- 
sponsibility? 

Are not all men conscious at times of sugges- 
tions and mental impressions pointing toward 
the right and inclining them toward God? — 
impressions which they entertain, it may be, 
with hospitality and to their salvation in some 
instances, while in other cases the suggestions 
are resisted and repelled without permanent 
good results to the subject? What grounds in 
reason or in revelation are there for declaring 
such things wholly of time and sense? — for ex- 
cluding all divine agency in human affairs? 
Does this render the revealed word unnecessary? 
A man can see reasonably well without glasses, 
but glasses help him to see. Are we to con- 
clude, therefore, that glasses are unnecessary 
because he can see without them? 

Man lives in two worlds, the physical and 
the spiritual. He needs the Bible, the revealed, 
written Word of God. In this he can read the 
mind of God through his physical senses. He 
needs this as an individual by which he may 
measure and weigh and properly estimate all 
his spiritual suggestions and impressions. Men 
associated together in society, in religious fel- 
lowship, need the written Word through which 
they may find common ground for affiliation and 



218 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

Christian intercourse. The unconverted world 
needs it. They are dominated by sense and 
sensible influences, and the Holy Spirit in seek- 
ing to convert and save men avails himself of 
the Word as the means of reaching their souls 
through their physical senses. All spiritual 
thoughts, impressions and tendencies may thus 
be compared with the revealed Word of God, 
that in the month of two witnesses the truth 
may be confirmed. He who cuts loose from 
the Bible and trusts only to mental impres- 
sions and his own spiritual tendencies is like 
a ship tossed upon the waves with uncertain 
port. And he who stifles and repudiates the 
indications and monitions of all spiritual im- 
pressions that come to him, he knows not how, 
and waits for the written Word in everything, 
will dwarf his spiritual life into the merest re- 
ligious formalism. "Comparing spiritual things 
with spiritual words " is the only safe rule in 
religion. 

CONVERSION. 

Let us now consider the subject of conver- 
sion. Are sinners converted by the agency of 
the Holy Spirit without the Word of God, 
without a knowledge of the gospel of salva- 
tion, as revealed in that Word? To so teach is 



THK WORD AND THE) SPIRIT 21£ 

to release men of all moral responsibility, and 
to place the responsibility of non-conversion of 
sinners on God. To so teach is to open the way 
for the wildest vagaries of mysticism, supersti- 
tion and fanaticism. To so teach is to reduce 
religion to a system of mere fatalism. 

Are sinners converted by the Word of the 
gospel without the personal presence and agency 
of the Holy Spirit operating and co-operating 
with the Word of Truth? To so teach is to 
emasculate the gospel, and to propagate the 
most superficial theological rot in its stead. No 
man who advocates such a theory of religion 
can ever be respectable among Christian scholars 
and thinkers. To proclaim such a theory of 
Christianity is a libel on the New Testament 
and a libel on the teachings of our fathers, and 
the promoters of such a monstrous perversion 
and deformity of truth can only bring reproach 
and discredit upon what is otherwise the most 
important and the most potent religious move- 
ment since the days of Martin Iyuther. 

The Word alone! Law alone! Nature alone! 
God excluded from his own government! The 
divine immanence lost in the divine transcen- 
dence! What a caricature of both philosophy 
and religion, of reason and revelation! What 
great Christian philosopher ever committed 
himself to such theological twaddle? What 



220 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OE OUR PLEA 

great thinker or writer ever uttered such reli- 
gious gibberish? Hear the Apostle Paul: "Our 
gospel came not unto you in word only, but also 
in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much 
assurance. . . . And ye became imitators 
of us and of the Lord, having received the Word 
in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Spirit." 
(i Thes. 1:5,6.) 

Hear Alexander Campbell: 

"I do not maintain that a person is converted by the 
Word only. I say that in conversion and sanctification 
the Spirit operates only through the Word, and not that a 

person is converted by the Word only I have, 

indeed, no faith in conversion by the Word without the 
Spirit, nor by the Spirit without the Word. The Spirit is 
ever present with the Word in conversion and in sanctifica- 
tion The legitimate point of discussion in this 

proposition is not whether the Word operates, but whether 
the instrumentality of the Word be necessary. ... It 
affirms that the Spirit of God operates." 

The foregoing extracts are taken from Mr. 
Campbell's speeches in the debate with N. L. 
Rice. 

In the Millennial Harbinger for January, 
1852, page 47, we find this language of Mr. 
Campbell: "I have no doubt that some of our 
brethren may have so expressed themselves, as 
if in the conversion of sinners it was all Word 
and no Spirit; nay, indeed, that the Word and 
Spirit are identical. I have on various occa- 
sions had to repudiate such an idea." 



THE) WORD AND THE SPIRIT 221 

Men advocating such a sterile form of Chris- 
tianity as Mr. Campbell here "repudiates" im- 
poverish their own souls, and to the extent of 
their influence blight the spiritual life of all 
others who look to them for religious instruc- 
tion. And in addition to this they bring dis- 
credit upon the brethren with whom they are 
ecclesiastically affiliated and upon the Church 
of Christ at large. If every such Apollos, 
"mighty in the Scriptures," "instructed in 
the way of the Lord; and being fervent in 
the Spirit," speaking and teaching "carefully 
the things concerning Jesus," but "knowing 
only baptism" for remission of sins, and the 
Word-alone theory of conversion and sanctifi- 
cation; and who "speak boldly in the syna- 
gogue" their shallow views on these subjects, 
could providentially have some "Priscilla and 
Aquila hear him," and then "take him unto 
them and expound unto him the way of God 
more perfectly," it would be a great blessing 
both to him and to the world that he is to the 
extent of his influence so fatally misleading. 

The Holy Spirit converts sinners, and not the 
Word, except in a secondary and subordinate 
sense, as an instrument in the hands of the 
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the agent; the Word 
is the instrument. "The sword of the Spirit is 
the Word of God" (Eph. 6:17). The sword 



222 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

does not leap out of the scabbard and do execu- 
tion of itself. A thousand Bibles thrown out 
in heathen lands, in the language of the people, 
would not convert them to Christ. It requires 
a living ministry — a ministry in whom the 
Holy Spirit operates, and with whom he co-op- 
erates, in order to carry the truth along the 
spiritual avenues to the spiritual understanding 
of man. Before the Spirit was sent as the great 
"gift' \ of God to man, the Savior said to his 
disciples — "He abideth with you and shall be 
in you" (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit had 
been "with" men, in all ages, as had the re- 
vealed Word, in a measure — to the extent that 
their moral and spiritual civilization would 
admit; but he had not come as the divine guest 
to dwell "in" men, and to "be with them for- 
ever." Hear the Master on this subject: "He 
that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath 
said, from within him shall flow rivers of living 
water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which 
they that believed on him were to receive; for 
the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was 
not yet glorified" (John 7:38, 39). Not until 
after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, 
his coronation and glorification in heaven — not 
until the day of Pentecost did the Holy Spirit, 
the heavenly Guest, descend to earth in his full 
and final mission, to illuminate, to convert, to 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 223 

sanctify and to glorify humanity. Notice that 
in the above Scripture there are two promises — 
the Spirit was to be "given" to men who "be- 
lieved on Christ," and then "from within them 
[the believers] shall flow rivers of living 
water." The Holy Spirit, in Christian men, 
is to send forth his power for the conversion of 
others. 

In the Gospel of John (16:7, 8), the Savior, 
speaking to his disciples concerning his ascen- 
sion soon to take place, says: "It is expedient 
for you that I go away; for if I go not away 
the Comforter will not come unto you; but, if I 
go, I will send him unto you. And, when he 
is come, he will convict the world of sin, and 
of righteousness, and of judgment." 

In what court is this conviction to take place 
— the divine or human? Sinners are already 
convicted in the divine view. God understands 
fully their situation — their guilt. The convic- 
tion is evidently to take place in human con- 
sciousness — in the sinner's own mind. This is 
conversion. By what agency is this accom- 
plished? By the Holy Spirit. " He will convict 
the world." This mighty agency and this 
mighty work began on the day of Pentecost in 
Jerusalem, an account of which is given us in 
the second chapter of Acts. Pentecost was the 
introduction of a new era. Nothing like it had 



224 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ever transpired in the history of the world. 
Let us read a few verses: "And when the day 
of Pentecost was now come, they w T ere all 
together in one place. And suddenly there 
came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of 
a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where 
they were sitting. And there appeared unto 
them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; 
and it sat upon each of them. And they were 
all tilled with the Holy Spirit." 

Let us now note with some care the points of 
interest and information in this paragraph. 

i. We are made to recall the promise of the 
Son of God concerning the Spirit — "He is with 
you and shall be in you." The Holy Spirit had 
been "with" the disciples from the time of 
their call by the Savior — with them and work- 
ing on their minds from without-, but now they 
are "filled with the Holy Spirt," and he works 
on them from within. These methods of oper- 
ation by the Spirit obtain universally. They 
are indicated all through the Scriptures. He 
operates from without through words, spoken 
or written, and by suggestions and impressions, 
or such other providential ways as may aid the 
Word in the work of "conviction." And 
when the sinner is converted, and his heart is 
opened, then the Spirit operates within him, 
he is "filled" with the Spirit. Hence, Paul, 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 225 

(Epli. 5:18) exhorts his brethren, "Be filled 
with the Spirit; speaking one to another in 
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing 
and making me*lody with your heart to the 
Lord." Also in Eph. 3:14, he says, "For this 
cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from 
whom every family in heaven and on earth 
is named, that he would grant you, according 
to the riches of his glory, that ye may be 
strengthened with power through his Spirit in 
the inward man. ' ' 

2. We raise the question here as to the 
extent of the Savior's promises. When for 
example he said to the apostles concerning the 
Holy Spirit, "he is with. yon and shall be in 
you;" "he shall guide you into all truth;" "he 
shall declare unto you the things that are to 
come;" "he shall glorify me, for he shall take 
of mine, and shall declare it unto you" — does 
he intend to limit these spiritual blessings to 
"you," the apostles; or is the promise, thus 
primarily addressed to the apostles, intended 
to be of a general character, and applicable to 
Christians as such? When the Son of God 
says, "Blessed are you when men shall reproach 
you;" "go you into all the world and preach 
the gospel;" "I will be with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world," etc., he does not 

mean to limit these duties, privileges and bless- 

15 



126 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ings to the parties addressed. They are the 
utterances of oreat general laws and truths for 
the observance and comfort of all Christians in 
all times. It is not meant here to deny that 
there were given to the apostles special prerog- 
atives as the ambassadors of Christ; but only to 
suggest that these are not so numerous as some 
men seem to think and to teach, much to their 
own spiritual hurt, and to the detriment of 
Christianity generally. The metes and bound- 
aries of all Christ's teachings are to be deter- 
mined by the nature of the case, by the 
philosophy of the subject, and by the whole 
scope of Xew Testament doctrine concern- 
ing the matter in hand. 

When, then, the Savior said to his disciples, 
''The Spirit is with you and shall be in you," 
he declared to them, as representatives of all 
disciples, a general fact of spirit aal life, a 
fundamental truth in Christian experience, 
which is made clear in the general drift of 
Scripture teaching. 

5. This pentecostal scene recalls another prom- 
ise of the Lord. "Being assembled together 
with them, he charged them not to depart from 
Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the 
Father, which ye heard from me; for John in- 
deed baptized in water; but you shall be baptized 
in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. . . 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 227 

You shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit 
is come upon you; and you shall be my wit- 
nesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea and 
Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the 
earth." (Acts 1:4-8.) In short, two things are 
promised — baptism of the Holy Spirit, and 
power of the Holy Spirit. What is the differ- 
ence between being baptized in the Spirit and 
receiving power of the Spirit? About the same 
difference, I suppose, that there is between be- 
ing baptized in water and receiving a wetting 
of the water, the one is the natural consequence 
of the other. Baptism is the action of the 
agent, and power in the subject is the result of 
the action. This action of the Holy Spirit is 
called "baptism" because of its copiousness, 
its abundance. It is called "power" because 
it enables the subject to experience and to 
achieve what would be impossible without this 
added power. The "sound" that came from 
heaven as a "rushing, mighty wind," and the 
fiery "tongues," were outward physical mani- 
festations addresssing the physical senses of 
hearing and seeing. These were only symbols 
of the divine presence, intended evidently to fix 
the attention of the people, and to impress them 
with the importance of the occasion. Whether 
these are to be considered as any part of the 
"baptism" is an open question; they certainly 



228 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

constituted no part of the "power." The bap- 
tism was "in the Holy Spirit," and the power 
was of the Holy Spirit. The human spirit, 
then, is baptized in the divine Spirit, and the 
human spirit "receives power" from the divine 
Spirit. 

What sort of "power" was this? It was 
spiritual power. It emanated from the Holy 
Spirit, and was imparted to the human spirit, 
and, as we shall see, it enabled the human spirit 
to impart it to other human spirits. What was 
the medium through which this power passed 
from one spirit to another? So far as we know 
there was no medium. If one physical body 
can kiss, shake hands with, and embrace another 
physical body without a medium, may not one 
spirit touch and affect another spirit without a 
medium? If not, why not? If this "power" 
was spiritual power for the reasons assigned, 
may we not say that the baptism was a spiritual 
baptism for the same reasons? One spirit is 
immersed in another spirit — is brought so thor- 
oughly under the influence of another spirit 
— so copious is the presence and the dominating 
power of that other spirit that it is said to be 
baptized in that spirit. Is it not then in keep- 
ing with scriptural phraseology to say when 
any human spirit is influenced and dominated 
by the Holy Spirit, that it is baptized in the 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 229 

■Spirit? And is not this the evident meaning of 
John the Baptist when he said to the multitudes 
concerning Christ, "He shall baptize you in 
the Holy Spirit"? Notice: "He shall baptize 
you." To whom does that "you" refer? Not 
to the apostles; there were no apostles at that 
time. "You" is employed in a general sense, 
referring primarily to the multitudes he was 
addressing, and in a general way to all men 
over whom Christ, through the Holy Spirit, 
should reign. And is this not plainly the 
meaning of Paul in i Cor. 12: 13: "For in one 
Spirit were we all baptized into one body, 
whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; 
and were all made to drink of one Spirit"? 

We have said that this "power" promised 
by the Son of God was spiritual power; but let 
us get a little closer to the subject. The Holy 
Spirit descending on the day of Pentecost 
"filled" the apostles, as before observed. In 
the light of all the facts in the case, what does 
this imply? 

a. The Spirit touched — inspired their minds 
with knowledge. See the record: "And they 
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit 
gave them utterance" — direct impartation of 
knowledge to the mind — knowledge of other 
languages, and readiness to comprehend and 
express, for the first time, the full significance 



230 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

of the gospel of Christ! Peter's sermon upon 
that occasion shows him to be intellectually 
a newborn man. He moves upon a mental 
plane hitherto unknown to him. This trans- 
formation of the apostles' minds was wrought 
suddenly, openly, powerfully, miraculously. 
Now if the Holy Spirit can thus immediately 
illuminate the human mind, and give to it 
a supernatural perception and expression of 
truth, can he not, immediately, aid the hu- 
man mind to the natural perception of 
truth? And is not this the meaning of the Sa- 
vior when he speaks of the Holy Spirit as "the 
Spirit of truth," and when he says to his dis- 
ciples, "he shall guide you into all truth"? 
And is not this what James means when he 
says: "If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask 
of God who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth 
not; and it shall be given him"? (James 1:5;) 
and what the Scriptures mean by the Spirit 
being "poured out upon all flesh"? Is it not 
in accord with general Christian experience that 
the nearer we get to God, the more earnestly we 
seek him in prayer and supplication, the clearer 
the way of truth and duty becomes? Is there 
any intelligent Christian man who will answer 
all these questions in the negative? If so, the 
world will be curious to know what manner of 
spirit he is of, and what sort of religion is his. 



THK WORD AND THE SPIRIT 231 

b. But we come now to another most im- 
portant point in our investigations of this pen- 
tecostal scene. Do the mental illuminations, 
the supernatural enduement of knowledge to 
understand and speak the gospel truths in all 
languages, in short, the miraculous phenomena 
of this occasion, exhaust the meaning of the 
word "power" as here employed? Is there 
any other essential element of spiritual life 
included in this promised "power"? 

The moral transformation of the apostles was 
quite as great and as notable as was their men- 
tal. And that this moral power came of their 
being "filled with the Holy Spirit," is in evi- 
dence upon the very face of things. Indeed, it 
is here contended that this moral transfigura- 
tion of these men was more notable and more 
important than their miraculous gifts. They 
had, in a measure, the power to work miracles 
before this, and had exercised it. The discus- 
sion of this moral phase of the subject properly 
belongs to that section in which we are to treat 
of the Spirit operating on the heart; but the 
matter necessarily claims some notice here. 
Before they were "filled with the Holy Spirit" 
on Pentecost, the apostles were timid, shrink- 
ing, cowardly men. There was apparent a lack 
of moral force in their characters as well as in 
their understanding. After this, however, they 



232 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

appear invested with a heroism that is as mar- 
velous as is their increased understanding of the 
gospel. They faced danger with courage; they 
proclaimed the word boldly; they denounced 
sin in high places. Instead of denying the 
Lord with a time-serving spirit, and returning 
to their old occupations, they proclaimed fear- 
lessly that "Jesus is Lord and Christ," whom 
the authorities, "with wicked hands, had cru- 
cified and slain." When they were "threat- 
ened," and ordered to "speak henceforth no 
more in this name," the apostles replied, 
"Whether it be right in the sight of God to 
hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge 
ye: we cannot but speak the things which we 
saw and heard." And in reciting these things 
the Scriptures tell us: "When they had prayed, 
the place was shaken wherein they were gath- 
ered together; and they were all filled with the 
Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God 
with boldness." And their spontaneous selling 
of their property, and making "distribution to 
every man as he had need," no man claim- 
ing that "aught that he had was his own," 
etc., — all indicate anew, internal, moral force 
that had revolutionized these men. Nor was 
this moral power confined, like .inspiration, to 
the few, but diffused itself generally among the 
disciples. 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 233 

L,et us pause here now long enough to note 
carefully an important distinction between the 
"gift of the Holy Spirit," and the "gifts" of 
the Holy Spirit. This distinction marks a real 
difference, and is vital to a clear understanding 
of the subject. The "gift" of the Holy Spirit 
is the Spirit himself, freely given to all men 
who are willing to avail themselves of it. This 
"gift" is represented in the Greek New Testa- 
ment by the term, dorea — "And you shall re- 
ceive the gift [dorea] of the Holy Spirit." 
(Acts 2:38.) 

The "gifts" of the Spirit, as a word, is pre- 
sented in the Greek by the term, Karisma — 
"There are diversities of gifts [Karisma] but 
the same spirit." (1 Cor. 12:4). "The gift of 
the Spirit" (dorea), then, is, like the air, 
God's free favor to all men who will accept it; 
while the "gifts of the Spirit" (Karisma) are 
special favors granted to a limited number of 
persons. Again, "the gift of the Spirit" is 
granted to every obedient believer for his own 
personal benefit, as indispensable to his spir- 
itual life and Christian character; while the 
"gifts of the Spirit" are granted to a few indi- 
viduals, not for their own personal aggrandize- 
ment or enjoyment, but for the good of others — 
"To each one is given the manifestation of the 



234 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Spirit to profit withal" (i Cor. 12:7) — "for the 
benefit of all," as one translator puts it. 

Now it is clear from the facts recorded in the 
Bible that this "gift of the Spirit" (dorea) was 
received by many disciples, and by the major- 
ity, who never received any of the "gifts" 
(Karisma) of the Spirit; just as every Amer- 
ican enjoys the privileges of citizenship, but 
only the favored few enjoy the privileges of 
holding office. And the office is bestowed on 
these, not for their own benefit, but for the 
general good. And it is equally clear that, 
in some instances, men received the "gifts" 
(Karisma) without ever receiving the "gift" 
(dorea) of the Spirit. As already observed, the 
disciples, before Pentecost, had the "gifts" — 
Karisma — to Work miracles. When the twelve 
apostles were first called and commissioned and 
sent abroad they were equipped for their work 
by these "gifts." Matthew (10:1) tells us: 
"And he called unto him his twelve disciples, 
and gave them authority over unclean spirits, 
to cast them out, and to heal all manner of dis- 
ease and all manner of sickness." 

The Master then assured them that they 
would be arrested and brought before the 
authorities and persecuted, and then says: "Be 
not anxious how or what ye shall speak; for 
it shall be given you in that hour what ye 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 235 

shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but 
the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in 
you." The seventy were afterwards called and 
sent forth with like "gifts" and similar assur- 
ances. (See Luke, chap. 10.) 

As further examples of this we mention the 
gifts of the prophets. The apostle Peter says: 
"No prophecy ever came by the will of man; 
but men spake from God, being moved by the 
Holy Spirit." (i Pet. 1:21.) And he gives us 
further assurance on this point when he says, 
"Concerning which salvation the prophets 
sought and searched diligently, who prophesied 
of the grace that should come unto you; search- 
ing what time or what manner of time the 
Spirit of Christ that was in them did point 
unto, when it testified before the sufferings of 
Christ, and the glories that should follow 
them." (1 Pet. 1:10.) There is an intimation 
here that the prophets had to study their own 
predictions. And this leaves us to infer that 
these "gifts" were not only not backed up by 
the moral power of the indwelling dorea, but 
they were not, in all instances, even supported 
by the prophets' own mental perception and 
understanding of truth. This view of the sub- 
ject is still more clearly brought out in the fact 
that unworthy men, for certain providental 
reasons, were sometimes made the recipients of 



236 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

these "gifts," this Karisma. The reader will 
readily recall the case of Balaam, and even 
Balaam's ass that was especially endowed to 
speak. Concerning these the apostle Peter 
thus writes: "Forsaking the right way, they 
went astray, having followed the way of 
Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of 
wrong-doing; but he was rebuked for his own 
transgression; a dumb ass spake with man's 
voice and stayed the madness of the prophet." 
(2 Pet. 2:15-16.) But no one will suppose 
that these received the "gift" (dorea) of the 
Holy Spirit. 

There is yet one other fact to be noticed; 
and let it be noted with emphasis. When the 
Spirit came to the Jews, the apostles, on the 
day of Pentecost, and to the Gentiles, at the 
house of Cornelius, he came in the double 
capacity of "gift" (dorea) and "gifts" (Karis- 
ma). All the facts in the case warrant this 
conclusion. That his endowments were re- 
ceived, the record plainly states. That the 
Spirit was given to them as the "dorea," the 
Paraclete, the Comforter, to "abide with them 
forever," is evident in the fact of their moral 
fitness and readines to receive him; and from 
the fact that they needed a further reinforce- 
ment of spiritual strength, and in the assurance 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 237 

given us in their subsequent history of this 
increased moral power. 

This same inference is legitimate in the case 
of the twelve disciples of John the Baptist 
whom Paul found at Ephesus, an account of 
which we find in the nineteenth chapter of Acts. 
Paul enquired of them, "Did you receive the 
Holy Spirit when you believed?" They reply, 
"Nay, we did not so much as hear whether 
the Holy Spirit was given." Then Paul ans- 
wers, "Into what then were you baptized?" 
They reply, "Into John's baptism." The 
result was, after further explanation, that 
"they were baptized into the name of the 
Iyord Jesus." Now, after this, we are told, 
"Paul laid his hands on them, and the Holy 
Spirit came on them; and they spake with 
tongues, and prophesied." Here the record 
plainly states that they received the "gifts" of 
the Spirit. But no one will for a moment 
doubt that, at the same time, they received the 
"gift"— dorea— of the Holy Spirit. 

It is not claimed here that these two Greek 
words, dorea and Karisma, are so essentially 
different as never to overlap each other, never 
to be used interchangeably, as synonyms; but 
that in New Testament usage, as applied to 
the Holy Spirit, the distinctions we have made 
clearly obtain, and are important. 



238 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Before closing our studies of this pentecostal 
occasion, there is another important point to be 
considered with reference to the presence and 
the operations of the Holy Spirit. We are told 
that there were about three thousand persons 
converted and added to the body of believers in 
Jerusalem at this time. What part did the 
Holy Spirit take in their conversion? We are 
to bear in mind, too, that the general topic 
under discussion at present is, "The Word and 
the Spirit;" while the special point being now 
considered is that "The Spirit Operates on 
Mind." Now the question arises, In the con- 
version of these people on the day of Pentecost, 
what part did the Holy Spirit perform, and 
what part did the Word perform? To get still 
closer to the subject, let us ask, Did the Holy 
Spirit do anything more than inspire the mind 
of Peter to speak the word of Truth to the peo- 
ple, and produce the physical phenomena of 
the "sound as of a mighty wind," and the 
"tongues as of fire"? The account of the 
pentecostal scene given in the second chapter 
of Acts does not specifically mention any 
other thing done by the Holy Spirit. But if 
the Spirit did nothing more on that mem- 
orable occasion than produce the remarkable 
physical phenomena referred to, and inspire the 
mind of the preacher to proclaim the truth to 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 239 

the people, he did much more to secure their 
conversion than he ordinarily does on the word- 
alone theory, in converting men. That the 
gospel preached by a man inspired by the Holy 
Spirit and confirmed by a present, sensible 
miracle, is more powerful than when preached 
without such supernatural attestations, will be 
admitted without argument. But does the 
fact that no mention is made of any other work 
wrought by the Holy Spirit upon this occasion 
than that spoken of, prove that nothing else 
was done by him? To so conclude is to affirm 
that in every case of conversion no influence 
was present except such as is distinctly named 
by the writer. And, if we can reason thus in 
regard to conversion, may we not so reason in 
regard to any other event? The writers of the 
New Testament are brief in their historical 
sketches. They usually give only the outlines 
of events. The details are to be supplied by 
comparing different similar occurrences, and 
by a study of the general Scripture doctrine of 
the subject in hand. 

In viewing the subject in this light, we 
unhesitatingly say that the Holy Spirit was 
as certainly present with the Word, and co- 
operating with it, in the minds of the hearers 
on the day of Pentecost, as he was with the 
preachers in proclaiming that Word of Truth. 



240 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Just how the Spirit of God operated on the 
minds of the apostles to make them understand 
and preach the gospel truth, we know not; nor 
do we know just how he operated on the minds 
of the hearers, and co-operated with the Word 
in producing their conversion. We do know, 
however, that the Savior said when he gave 
the commission to the apostles, "I will be with 
you alway, even unto the end of the world." 
We do know that he said, speaking of the Holy 
Spirit, "And he, when he is come, will convict 
the world of sin," and that James says, "Of 
his own will begat he us with the word of 
truth," and that the Scriptures say, "Paul 
planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the 
increase." And in the case of Lydia it is 
plainly stated, ' 'Whose heart the Lord opened. ' ' 
Of these pentecostal believers, also, it is said, 
"And the Lord added to them day by day 
those that were saved." Note particularly 
these declarations: 

ll I will be with you" — "The Spirit will con- 
vict" — "God begat us" — "God gave the in- 
crease'' ' — ' ' The Lord opened her hearf ' — ' ' The 
Lord added to tliem. ' ' 

We have here, and generally throughout the 
Scriptures, the assurance of the divine presence 
and agency in man's conversion. Hence, 
where it is said concerning the three thousand 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 241 

converted on the day of Pentecost, "When 
they heard these things they were pricked in 
their hearts," it is as scriptural and as logical 
to conclude that the Holy Spirit was actively 
present in their conversion as that the Word 
was present. 

That the Holy Spirit has the power to oper- 
ate on the human mind otherwise than in audi- 
ble or written words will not be denied. That 
the Scriptures ascribe to him this power and 
this agency is one of the plainest facts of reve- 
lation. Just how much of our mental make- 
up to-day, just what influences and factors in 
determining our present mental condition and 
status are to be ascribed to the direct and im- 
mediate operations of other spirits, human, de- 
moniacal and divine, we know not. Man is a 
spiritual being, and a part of a spiritual uni- 
verse. And to shut him up to a sphere of life 
limited and determined wholly by his physical 
senses, is to do violence to both reason and 
revelation. 

To maintain, then, that in the conversion of 

sinners there are no influences to be expected or 

desired or prayed for, other than the Word 

faithfully preached, is to paralyze the spiritual 

side of Christian life. The Word and the 

Spirit are not to be separated. The Word does 

not convert without the Spirit; the Spirit does 
16 



242 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

not convert without the Word. This view 
gives full scope for the exercise of all our ener- 
gies and the employment of all our resources in 
proclaiming the gospel to the world; and this 
gives full scope for the exercise of all our faith 
in God, and the employment of all our spirit- 
ual resources in prayer. And nothing short of 
this meets the demands of man's rational and 
spiritual nature. Nothing short of this meets 
the demands of sound Scripture doctrine. 
Nothing short of this meets the demands of the 
plea made by our fathers before the world in 
the opening of the nineteenth century. That 
form of religious thought which eliminates 
from the church and from the gospel the ever- 
present and active personal agency of the Holy 
Spirit, is a spurious thing, a galvanized corpse. 
It is a travesty on the Bible and a "comedy of 
errors'' on the teachings of Alexander Camp- 
bell and his coadjutors. 

In his debate with Mr. Rice, page 678, Mr. 
Campbell says: 

"I have no faith in conversion by the Word without the 
Spirit; nor by the Spirit without the Word. The Spirit is 
ever present with the Word in conversion and in sanctifi- 
cation." 

And on page 708 he says: 

"It is not possible for a man to conceive of spiritual 
operations. The fact of the operation is as evident as 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 243 

gravity, but who can explain it? * * * * That the 
Spirit of God operates on the human understanding and 
heart is just as certain as that man has an understanding 
and affections. Our spirit is allied to the spiritual system, to 
the Great Spirit. God can commune and does commune 
with man, and man with God." 

Again on page 731 he says further: 

"I believe in a substantive influence of the Spirit of 
God through the truth upon the conscience, the under- 
standing and the affections." 

To maintain that the Holy Spirit operates on 
the mind in conversion, does not imply any in- 
fringement of the freedom of the human will, 
or any of the mental powers. That Almighty 
Power is competent to move with irresistible 
coercive force upon the human mind, is not to 
be denied, but Christianity is not constructed 
on this principle. All service, to be worthy and 
acceptable and profitable, must be voluntary. 
"Whosoever will let him come." And yet, it 
is neither unreasonable nor unscriptural to be- 
lieve that the Spirit of God brings to bear on 
the mind of man thoughts, motives, influences 
calculated to move it to action, to direct the 
will and to control the mental energies. All 
this may be done strictly in harmony with the 
nature of spiritual life, of individual responsi- 
bility and personal freedom. "It is God that 
worketh in you both to will and to do of his 



244 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13.) If thoughts and 
impressions, coming through words, may affect 
and change the mind without impairing its free 
volitional nature, why may not thoughts and 
impressions, coming otherwise, so operate? 

Xor are we to conclude that this direct influ- 
ence of the Holy Spirit on the mind is, in its 
nature, essentially different from that exerted by 
the word of truth. Certainly we are not to 
suppose it to be in any wise antagonistic to the 
word. The Spirit re-enforces the word. They 
both operate and co-operate along the lines of 
spiritual natures, and in harmony with the laws 
of spiritual life and activity. It is the light of 
truth and the love of God as embodied in the 
gospel of Jesus Christ that are to convert the soul. 
And it is the office of the Holy Spirit to get that 
light and that love so impressed on the soul as 
to secure its conversion. All of which is to be 
achieved without infracting the established 
laws of man's spiritual nature or personal lib- 
erty and responsibility. 

Let us hear Alexander Campbell on this sub- 
ject: 

"God's power is omnipotent, but it is consistent with 
himself and with itself. The gospel, Paul says, is the 
power of God unto salvation. Hence the moral omnipo- 
tence of God is in the document called the gospel. God's 
moral power is infinitely superior to ours. Yet all that 
power is in the gospel, and this is all we mean by the con- 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 245 

verting power being in the Word of God. God may em- 
ploy other means, other power, if you please, in converting 
men, but nothing finally converts them but the light and 
love of God in the gospel." (Debate with Rice, page 643.) 

And again, on page 701, he speaks very 
plainly on this subject thus: 

"I do, Sir, most sincerely regard the Holy Spirit as the 
author of every spiritual and noble desire in the human 
heart; the author of every pious affection, of every holy 
aspiration of our souls. His mysterious but certain power 
is in and with the gospel, and he makes it the power of 
God to salvation to every one that believes it. He sancti- 
fies us through the truth. He works in us to will and to 
do of his good pleasure." 

And then further, by way of making himself 
understood on this point, he boldly declares on 
page 722 as follows: 

"I said in the commencement of this discussion that I 
did not affirm nor deny as to any other operations of the 
Spirit save in conversion and sanctification. What he may 
do in the way of suggestions or impressions, by direct com- 
munication of original ideas, or in bringing things to re- 
membrance long since forgotten, I presume not to discuss. 
I believe he has exerted, and can exert, such influences. 
Nor do I say what influence he may exert, or cause to be 
exerted, in bringing men's minds to consider these matters; 
but I confine my reasonings and proofs to conversion and 
sanctification." 

No man can read these declarations of Mr. 
Campbell — and much more of the same import 
might be submitted — without seeing his sublime 



246 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

faith in the Holy Spirit as a divine personality, 
and as an ever-present and active agent in the 
conversion and salvation of mankind. The 
idea of a religion sustained and propagated by 
the revealed Word of God, without the personal, 
active ministration of the Holy Spirit attending 
it, he repudiated with the full force of his whole 
nature. He little dreamed that it was possible 
for a class of superficial philosophers, and still 
more superficial theologians, to arise among his 
own brethren to advocate such a barren theory 
of religion; and that, too, in the very face of 
his own earnest and repeated protests, and with 
the whole drift of plain Bible teaching to the 
contrary, and with the consensus of Christian 
scholarship against them as well. 

THE SPIRIT OPERATES OX HEARTS. 

There is nothing more clearly disclosed in the 
New Testament doctrine concerning the Holy 
Spirit than the fact of a difference in his rela- 
tion to the converted and the unconverted 
man — a difference in the method of his opera- 
tion upon the sinner and upon the Christian — 
upon the believer and the unbeliever. It is not 
meant to affirm that the Scriptures make plain 
a philosophical difference here. We make no 
effort to understand or to discuss the philosophy 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 247 

of spiritual influences. The modus operandi 
by which one spirit touches and affects another 
has never yet been made clear. Both in the 
realm of psychology and of theology spiritual 
phenomena are recognized; but the laws or 
principles underlying these have not yet been 
placed upon a scientific basis, and brought 
within the domain of positive and well-defined 
knowledge. What the future may have in store 
for us in the way of a better understanding of 
this subject we know not; but we are sure that, 
to oar finite minds, the matter has not yet 
passed beyond the tentative and empirical 
stages of its development. That God under- 
stands all these laws of the spiritual world 
which he himself has established, is not to be 
doubted; and that the Holy Spirit operates ac- 
cording to them is to be taken for granted. In 
treating of the subject, therefore, we deal with 
its facts and not with their philosophical inter- 
pretation. 

The Holy Spirit is not given to all persons in 
the same measure, nor to the same person, at 
all times, in the same degree. It is said of 
Christ that, "God giveth the Spirit not by 
measure unto him." (John 3:34.) And in an- 
other place it is said that, "It pleased the 
Father that in him should all the fulness 
dwell." (Col. 1:19). This fulness of the Spirit 



248 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

was granted to our L,ord because of his moral 
competency to receive the gift "without meas- 
ure. 1 ' It is not thus granted to us because of 
our moral incompetency to receive it. Men 
differ in their moral stature, as they do in their 
mental calibre, or in their physical proportions. 
"According to thy faith so be it unto thee," is 
a law that obtains here in full force. We re- 
ceive of this grace, not by arbitrary measure, 
but according to our moral fitness for the bless- 
ing. The man who earnestly seeks to adjust 
himself to the divine methods, who conforms to 
the will of God conscientiously and continu- 
ously, in his private devotions and his public 
ministrations among men, will open the chan- 
nels of spiritual commerce between himself and 
God, and thus receive larger measures of the 
Spirit than the man who fails of these efforts 
and neglects these appliances. It is not to be 
denied that some men have greater difficulties 
to overcome, greater obstacles to surmount in 
the way of social environment and inherited 
natural organization, than have others. Even 
among the apostles there appear these differ- 
ences in spiritual attainments and excellence, 
quite as much as in their mental endowments 
and their official prominence. 

The same differences that are here observed 
as existing between individual Christians, are to 



THK WORD AND THE SPIRIT 249 

be noted as obtaining, in a collective way, 
among the different churches of the New Testa- 
ment history. The casual reader cannot fail to 
be impressed with this fact. Men associated 
together in a corporate way in church work 
and church life may jointly and concertedly 
open the way or blockade the way of the Holy 
Spirit in his gracious ministrations. Hence, 
Paul writing to the church at Corinth says: 
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, 
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If 
any man destroyeth the temple of God, him 
shall God destroy; for the temple of God is 
holy, which temple ye are." (i Cor. 3:16.) 
And, addressing them again as individuals, on 
this same subject he says: "Know ye not that 
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit that is 
in you, which ye have from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19.) 
This phase of the subject is finely exemplified 
in the addresses to the seven churches of Asia, 
as recorded in the second and third chapters of 
Revelation. The moral status of each church, 
as depicted there, illustrates clearly the differ- 
ence in the spiritual conditions and attainments 
in the congregational life of disciples. The 
hindering causes, too, which prevent a larger 
development of spiritual infilling and enjoy- 
ment are here plainly indicated; while the 
possibility of a fuller and holier Christian life, 



250 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

to every individual and to every church, 
through this divine agency, is portrayed, in 
strong and definite assurance, in the close of 
these addresses to the Asiatic churches, in the 
following language: "Behold, I stand at the 
door and knock; if any man hear my voice and 
open the door, I will come in to him, and sup 
with him and he with me." 

Nothing could well be more instructive or 
more beautiful, on the subject in hand, than 
these words. God is not only willing to enter 
the human soul with larger measures of spir- 
itual life, but is persistent — " Behold ^ I stand at 
the door and knock." His entrance and divine 
blessing is made to depend on man's moral 
condition and volitional attitude — "If any man 
hear my voice and open the door." The reality 
and personal nature of that larger Christian 
life that comes of this energizing power and 
reinforcement of the Spirit of God, is here 
manifested — "/ will come into him, and sup 
with him, and he with me." 

If such Scriptures do not teach us the reality 
of a fellowship between the Holy Spirit and 
the human spirit — a divine, personal, intelli- 
gent fellowship between rational, moral and 
spiritual natures, then they but mock us with 
meaningless and misleading words and prom- 
ises. 



THK WORD AND THE SPIRIT 251 

This idea of degrees in the measure of the 
Holy Spirit in the minds and hearts of men is 
conspicuously iHustrated in the case of the first 
disciples and the apostles. When they were 
first called from their vocations in life to follow 
Jesus, they were very crude men, from a spir- 
itual point of view. The Master began with 
oral instructions to educate them. His appeals 
were to the mind through lessons addressed to 
the ear and the eye. After this he bestows on 
them gifts of a supernatural order. This en- 
abled them to work miracles, and in this way 
he won upon their confidence, and expanded 
their faith in him and in themselves as his dis- 
ciples. Still later on John tells us, "he 
breathed on them and said unto them, receive 
ye the Holy Spirit." This was after his res- 
urrection and before his ascension. The 
miracle of his resurrection had added still 
greater strength to their faith, and opened the 
way for a larger measure of spiritual life, which 
was imparted to them by this inbreathing of 
the Holy Spirit from the blessed Master. He 
was soon to leave them and return to his 
Father. That they might be strengthened for 
the ordeal through which they were to pass in 
the time intervening between this and the day 
of final promise — the baptism of the Holy 
Spirit — when they were to be brought to the 



252 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

climax of their spiritual inheritance and enjoy- 
ment, this benediction and impartation of a 
further "measure" of the Spirit was given. 
We have noted these epochs in their spiritual 
development, because they are mentioned by 
the sacred historians, and appear as prominent 
facts. At what other times, and in what other 
ways, these men may have been enlarged, by 
the Spirit, in their understanding and enjoy- 
ment of this newborn religion, we presume not 
to say. Our point has been made sufficiently 
clear, — that the Holy Spirit comes to men by 
measure and in different degrees, according to 
human conditions — as we make it possible 
for his holy ministry, by our own moral atti- 
tudes. 

We are now prepared to recur to the state- 
ment made in the opening of the present, im- 
mediate discussion, viz.: "There is nothing 
more clearly disclosed in the New Testament 
doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit than the 
fact of a difference in his relation to the con- 
verted and the unconverted man — a difference 
in the method of his operation upon the sinner 
and upon the Christian, upon the believer and 
the unbeliever. ' ' 

The Savior's declaration, "He is with you, 
and shall be in you," has already been noted. 
The Spirit was at that time operating from with- 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 253 

out upon the minds of the disciples. When he 
came in his fullness on the day of Pentecost, 
we read, "And they were all filled with the 
Holy Spirit." He now enters within, as their 
Guest, to "abide with them forever." He 
comes in the double capacity of dorea and 
Karisma, and in fuller measure than they had 
ever before experienced. They were better 
prepared for this fuller measure than ever be- 
fore. Their minds and hearts had been ex- 
panded by previous experiences. They were 
vessels fitted for the Master's use, and ready 
"to receive of his fulness, grace for grace." 

It will be in place here now to refer to an- 
other statement of Christ concerning the prom- 
ised Spirit. In John 14:16, he says: "I will 
pray the Father, and he shall give you anoth- 
er Comforter, that he may abide with you for- 
ever, even the Spirit of truth: whom the world 
cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neith- 
er knoweth him." Attention is called to the 
above italicized clause, "whom the world can- 
not receive." This is the statement of a fact. 
But this statement is immediately followed by 
an explanation of the fact — ' \ 'for it beholdeth him 
not, neither knoweth him." The Holy Spirit 
does not and cannot consistently break in upon 
the human soul in the absence of intelligence, 
of thought, of reason, of knowledge. The 



254 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

idea of an "irresistible" influence of the Holy 
Spirit in the conversion and sanctification and 
salvation of men, is alike subversive of Scrip- 
ture and of reason. The Holy Spirit cannot 
come as the "gift" of God to the impenitent 
sinner. His heart is not a fit "temple of the 
Holy Spirit." He needs to be changed, mor- 
ally changed, before he can enjoy this divine 
fellowship. Hence Peter said to the people on 
the day of Pentecost, "Repent and be baptized, 
every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
for the remission of your sins, and you shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The 
Holy Spirit had been operating from without 
upon their minds, seeking to "convict them of 
sin." He had brought them to the point 
where, we are told, "they were pricked in their 
hearts." He now leads them still further on in 
this moral preparation — "Repent and be bap- 
tized, and you shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Spirit." And the record proceeds to tell 
us that "they received his word and were bap- 
tized," and that these Jerusalem converts 
"were all rilled with the Holy Spirit." 

This distinction and difference in the modus 
operandi of the Holy Spirit toward the believer 
and the unbeliever, is apparent throughout the 
New Testament. The Son of God makes clear 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 255 

this distinction. He says concerning the Holy 
Spirit, as already noted: 

"When he is come, he shall convict the 
world of sin, because they believe not." 
Note carefully the expression, "convict because 
they believe not." Unbelief is a sin. To con- 
vict a man of this sin is to make him a be- 
liever. 

Now let us compare this with another declar- 
ation of Christ as follows: 

"He that belie veth on me, as the Scripture 
hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of 
living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, 
which they that believed on him were to re- 
ceive; for the Spirit was not yet given; because 
Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7: 38, 39.) 
It is evident from this passage that the Holy 
Spirit was to be given as a source of spiritual 
power within men — that this was to be done 
after Christ was "glorified" — and that he was 
to be given to believers. Notice — " Which they 
that believed on him were to receive." Con- 
cerning the Holy Spirit, then, we have two 
plain lessons here from the great Teacher. He 
is to "convict" men of the sin of unbelief, and 
thus make them believers. After this the be- 
lievers are to "receive" the Spirit. That is, 
the Holy Spirit operates from without on the 
minds of men, in order to convict them and 



256 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

give them faith; and when he has thus cleared 
the way and prepared the soul as a fit "temple" 
for himself, he enters within to begin his con- 
structive work of building up a moral character 
and a spiritual life. 

We recall, in connection with this, the inci- 
dent already mentioned of Paul asking "cer- 
tain disciples" found at Bphesus, "Received 
ye the Holy Spirit since ye believed?" This 
same idea is further illustrated also in Paul's 
declaration (Eph. 1:13), "^4/ferthat ye believed 
ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. ' ' 

This principle of operation and co-operation 
on the part of God is no arbitrary law. It 
accords with the experience of every preacher 
of the gospel that, in his own ministrations, 
he has first to operate on men from without, 
and prepare for himself a place in their hearts 
before he can, in a secondary sense, enter with- 
in them to aid in building up their spiritual 
lives. 

Another fact worthy of some attention in this 
connection is that the gift of the Holy Spirit is 
usually promised in the New Testament as a 
subsequent, not only of faith, but also of baptism. 
This, be it observed, is generally the case, not 
uniformly the rule. Why is this so? Not be- 
cause the Heavenly Father has established 
baptism as an arbitrary barrier between himself 



THE WORD AND THB SPIRIT 257 

and the human soul, and waits with stoical in- 
difference until the last exaction of law is com- 
plied with before he smiles in favor upon the 
returning prodigal. This would not be in ac- 
cord with the divine nature, nor even with 
human nature, except in some abnormal, Shy- 
lock form of degeneracy. Baptism is the ap- 
pointed overt act of self-surrender to Christ. 
Baptism is contemplated in the Scriptures as an 
expression of faith, and as immediately follow- 
ing faith. As an act of intelligent, trustful 
obedience to God it brings to the human soul a 
sense of submission and relief, of gratification 
and satisfaction which, like repentance and 
faith, serve to induce in the soul a moral con- 
dition preparing it for the reception and fellow- 
ship of the Holy Spirit. But in cases where 
this moral condition obtains prior to baptism, 
God recognizes it, and enters into sympathy 
and communion with the parties. Hence in 
the case of Cornelius, "a devout man, and one 
that feared God with all his house, who gave 
much alms to the people, and prayed to God 
alway," the Holy Spirit was given in advance 
of baptism. Also in the case of Paul, to whom 
the Lord had appeared. He was thoroughly 
turned from his purpose of persecuting the 
saints, and had surrendered to the Lord with 

his whole heart. Hear him: " What shall I do y 
17 



258 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Lord?" After Paul had spent "three days'' in 
prayer and fasting, Ananias, the Lord's minister, 
comes to him. Now hear Ananias: "Brother 
Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared to 
thee in the way, hath sent me, that thou 
mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the 
Holy Spirit y After this he was baptized. 
The Spirit is first given because Paul was mor- 
ally prepared for him. And in the case of 
thousands of godly people to-day who fail to 
understand this subject, and who have never 
been really baptized, the Divine Father is bless- 
ing them "with every spiritual blessing in the 
heavenly places in Christ." And with refer- 
ence to such persons all truly loyal Christian 
hearts will join with Paul, Col. 1:9, in saying: 
"For this cause we also do not cease to pray 
and make request for you, that ye may be filled 
with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual 
wisdom and understanding, to walk worthily 
of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in 
every good work, and increasing in the knowl- 
edge of God." And yet, as far as practicable, 
they will strive to teach all such "the way of 
the Lord more perfectly." We strive to adjust 
ourselves to God individually and collectively ; 
and God seeks to adjust himself to us, individ- 
ually and collectively. This adjustment is 
always effected along moral lines, and all legal 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 259 

provisions and requirements are only intended 
to superinduce the necessary moral conditions 
of our spiritual blessings. 

This principle, whereby the Holy Spirit is 
given to men, whenever and wherever they are 
found in the moral condition to receive and 
enjoy the divine favor and fellowship, and 
given in different degrees, according to the 
measure of their moral fitness, is only "natural 
law in the spiritual world." We live and oper- 
ate every day by that law, in our social rela- 
tions with society, in our moral relations with 
the church, and in our spiritual relations with 
God. And, although it is said that Paul was 
"filled with the Holy Spirit" in the beginning 
of his Christian career, yet are we not to believe 
that his capacity to receive and enjoy this 
divine fellowship was afterwards enlarged, and 
that he subsequently received the Spirit in still 
larger measure? His life and his writings in- 
dicate this fact. We may easily suppose that 
Paul reached the climax of his spiritual evolu- 
tion when "he was caught up into Paradise 
and heard unspeakable words, which it is not 
lawful for man to utter;" and when, lest he 
"should be exalted over much, there was given 
to him a thorn in the flesh," and he heard in 
answer to his supplication for its removal, — 
"My grace is sufficient for thee;" and then 



260 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

was brought to a personal realization of that 
great spiritual truth so hard for us all to learn — 
''When I am weak, then am I strong;" and 
that the Apostle John found the culmination of 
his spiritual experience when he was on the 
"isle that is called Patmos, for the word of 
God and the testimony of Jesus, and was in the 
Spirit on the Lord's day." It is not to be sup- 
posed that all Christians can rise to the heights 
of these specially afflicted, and yet specially 
favored, sons of God. But let us believe that 
there are measures of enlargement along the 
ordinary ways of spiritual evolution as well as 
along the extraordinary ways. The Scriptures 
plainly teach this doctrine. Paul, in Kph. 
5:18, exhorts his brethren to be "filled with the 
Spirit." It is to be taken for granted that 
these Christians received the Holy Spirit when 
they first submitted to the gospel; but now, 
having had time to grow and to increase their 
capacity for still larger measures of spiritual 
life, they are exhorted to be still further "filled 
with the Spirit." And the Scriptures fre- 
quently speak of the same persons being "filled 
with the Spirit" at different times. This is 
done evidently for the reason that both their 
internal and external conditions demand, from 
time to time, a reinforcement of spiritual power. 
And it is for this reason evidently that the Sav- 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 261 

ior taught the disciples to expect this divine 
blessing in installments and according to their 
necessities. He represents the Heavenly Father, 
in measuring out the gift of the Spirit, as pro- 
ceeding as a wise earthly parent does in grant- 
ing favors to his children. He grants them, at 
different times and in different measures, ac- 
cording to the necessity and readiness of the 
children to receive and appropriate his favor. 
Hear the Savior: "If ye then, being evil, know 
how to give good gifts unto your children, how 
much more shall your Heavenly Father give the 
Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" 

We are discussing the question of the Spir- 
it's operations on the heart, on the inner man, 
the emotional and affectional nature; operations 
whereby the moral character is transformed 
and the spiritual life transfigured, more and 
more, into the image of Christ Jesus our Lord. 

WHAT THE SPIRIT DOES IN THE HEART. 

Let us now give attention to .some special 
scriptural teachings on this subject: 

i. He dwells in the Christian. "Ye are 
not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that 
the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any 
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of 
his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead 
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of 



262 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that 
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he 
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also 
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that 
dwelleth in you." (Rom. 8:9-11.) 

Observe carefully Paul's declarations. He 
speaks of the Holy Spirit as both the "Spirit of 
God" and the "Spirit of Christ." This is New 
Testament doctrine. "If I go away, I will send 
him unto you," said Christ. And, again, he 
says: "When the Comforter is come, whom I 
will send unto you from the Father, even the 
Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the 
Father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26.) 
This Spirit sent by Christ and from the Father 
"dwells" in the Christian as the representative 
of the Father and the Son. Hence the apostle 
says, "If Christ is in you, the body is dead be- 
cause of sin, but the Spirit is life because of 
righteousness." And other Scriptures speak of 
God and of Christ dwelling in us. "If a man 
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father 
will love him, and we will come unto him, and 
make our abode with him." (John 14:23.) 
God and Christ then dwell in the Christian 
through the Holy Spirit. "He shall abide 
with you forever," was the Savior's comforting 
promise to the disciples. This is a pleasing 
view of the subject to the Apostle Paul. Hear 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 263 

liim on this point again: "Know ye not that 
ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of 
God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the 
temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the 
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 
(i Cor. 3: 16, 17.) 

It is impossible for us to understand just how 
the Holy Spirit "dwells" in us. Nor is it a mat- 
ter of vital importance that we should understand 
this. But it is a matter of vital importance that 
the fact becomes a matter of personal faith and 
experience with every man for the avowed rea- 
son that, "If a man hath not the Spirit of 
Christ he is none of his." And when it is said 
that the Spirit of God "dwells" in us, no one 
supposes that he dwells there passively, but 
actively. He is there to do something. "If 
Christ is in you, the body" — the carnal nature — 
"is dead because of sin, but the spirit" — the 
spiritual nature — "is life because of righteous- 
ness." The Holy Spirit then, dwelling in us, 
both kills and makes alive. He destroys the 
life of "sin," and gives a life of "righteousness" 
— subdues the passions of the "body," and stim- 
ulates and energizes the powers of the "spirit." 
"The flesh profiteth nothing, it is the Spirit that 
quickeneth. ' ' He quickens our spirits now, with 
thought and truth and love; and shall hereafter 
quicken "our mortal bodies," even as he quick- 



264 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ened the body of Jesus, and "raised him from 
the dead." But this active ministry of the 
Spirit, as he "dwells" in us, will be made still 
more apparent as we proceed. 

2. He communes with us. "The grace of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and 
the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you 
all." (2 Cor. 13:14.) This "grace" of Christ 
and "love" of God come to us from without, 
and do not necessarily imply a responsive appre- 
ciation and joint participation on our part. 
Thus it is said, "The grace of God hath ap- 
peared unto all men ^ and "God so loved the 
worlds'* Yet it is a fact that many men have 
no appreciation of this "grace," and make no 
response to this "love." But with the "com- 
munion" of the Holy Spirit it is otherwise. 
Communion implies a sympathetic exchange, a 
spiritual commerce between intelligent beings. 
And in the case of the communion of the Holy 
Spirit it implies a sympathetic, spiritual, joint 
participation of the very highest conceivable 
character this side of heaven itself. Paul speaks 
of it tenderly in Phil. 2:1 after this manner: 
"If there is, therefore, any exhortation in 
Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellow- 
ship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and com- 
passions, make ye full my joy," etc. "Any 
fellowship of the Spirit!" When two men are 



THE WORD AND THB SPIRIT 265 

in "fellowship," that means an intelligent, mu- 
tual understanding and fraternal co-operation in 
some common interest, some common good, or 
some common pleasure. It means all this and 
more when applied to the fellowship of the 
human spirit and the Holy Spirit. Notice, too, 
what a rich cluster of spiritual conceptions are 
here presented to us along with this "fellow- 
ship of the Spirit," each of which has its own 
peculiar grace and merit — "exhortation in 
Christ," "consolation of love," "fellowship of 
the Spirit," "tender mercies and compassions." 
The rose, the lily, the hyacinth, the jessamine 
and the carnation, all blended together in one 
effect, without the loss of individuality or iden- 
tity in any. And a similar cluster of spiritual 
ideas is presented to us in the Kpistle to the 
Hebrews (6:4, 5): "As touching those who 
were once enlightened, and tasted of the heav- 
enly gift, and were made partakers of the 
Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, 
and the powers of the world to come," etc. 
While all these privileges and attainments are 
related and associated together in Christian life 
and experience, yet they are distinct and sepa- 
rate elements in thought and in reality — "en- 
lightened," "tasted the heavenly gift," "par- 
takers of the Holy Spirit," "tasted the good 
word of God," "tasted the powers of the world 



266 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

to come" — are each invested with an indi- 
viduality of its own, and are not to be consid- 
ered as synonymous expressions, or a mere play 
of rhetoric. In this connection, let it be espe- 
cially noted that the two phrases, ^partakers of 
the Holy Spirit" and ik tasted the good word of 
God" stand side by side, as distinct expressions 
of different realities; and this fact is a death 
blow to that shallow conceit — the word-alone 
theory of religion. 

3. He guides and leads us into the truth. 
We have before referred to the promise of our 
Lord made to his disciples concerning the 
Spirit — "When he is come, he shall guide you 
into all the truth." It is here again referred 
to, as falling in the line of our present investi- 
gation and for further elucidation. After the 
same manner and on the same subject, the Sav- 
ior further taught them, thus: "The Com- 
forter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father 
will send in my name, he shall teach you all 
things, and bring to your remembrance all that 
I said unto you." (John 14:26.) And the 
Apostle Paul speaking of the official work of 
the Spirit (Rom. 8:13, 14) says: "If by the 
Spirit ye put to death the doings of the body ye 
shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit 
of God, these are the sons of God." Again to 
the same effect, in Gal. 5:18-25, he says: "If 



THE WORD AND THE} SPIRIT 267 

ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the 
law. . . . If we live by the Spirit, by the 
Spirit let us walk." 

The Apostle John also leads us into the same 
path of reflections when he, after his own pecu- 
liar style, reasons thus: "And ye have an 
anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all 
things. . . . And as for you, the anoint- 
ing which ye received of him abideth with you, 
and ye need not that any one teach you, but 
his anointing teacheth you concerning all 
things." (i John 2:20-27.) Now we have in 
these Scriptures before us much food for 
thought and for our moral and spiritual assimi- 
lation. When the Son of God said to these 
first disciples that the Holy Spirit should 
"teach" them, and should bring to their "re- 
membrance" all his lessons, and should "guide 
them into all the truth," he, no doubt, referred 
primarily to the inspiration, the miraculous in- 
spiration, of these men; but does this exhaust 
his meaning? Is it not just as clear and con- 
clusive that the Apostle John, in the passage 
cited, applies the same thought, in a secondary 
sense, to all Christians? Hear him: " Ye have 
an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know 
all things. Ye need not that any one 

teach you, but his anointing teacheth you con- 
cerning all things." This language is as strong 



268 ' THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

and comprehensive as that of the Savior, and 
authorizes the conclusion that the Holy Spirit, 
as the gift and the guest of all Christians, aids 
them as certainly in their understanding and 
enjoyment of truth, though through the ordi- 
nary channels of spiritual influence, as he did 
the apostles through the extraordinary chan- 
nels. Why not? Do we not need this assist- 
ance? The apostles needed the larger, super- 
natural measure of it to enable them to recall 
and understand the oral lessons of the Master, 
and to strengthen them for the initial work of 
establishing the kingdom of God on earth, and 
committing these oral instructions permanently 
to record. We need the minor, natural meas- 
ure of the Spirit to enable us to recall and un- 
derstand the written word of truth. Does the 
Holy Spirit enable the ordinary Christian to 
understand the Bible? Of course he does. Is 
it not a fact that the ordinary Christian man, 
who prayerfully studies his Bible, seeking 
God's help to understand it, does understand it 
better, and enjoy it more, than the more intel- 
lectual unbeliever, who studies it to oppose it? 
Can we comprehend this matter? Not 
wholly, but let us catch what light we can. 
Hear Paul again: "If by the Spirit ye put to 
death the doings of the body, ye shall live." 
Notice, "By the Spirit ye put to death." 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 269 

That is, you by the assistance of the Holy Spirit 
subdue your carnal nature. Then what? Then 
"you are led by the Spirit." And then again, 
the apostle says: "If we live by the Spirit, by 
the Spirit let us walk" — the Holy Spirit helps 
us to overcorne the flesh and to make dominant 
the spiritual nature. It is by the Holy Spirit 
then, that we morally and spiritually "live," 
and "walk," and "remember," and are "led," 
and "guided," and "taught." 

When it is said that the Holy Spirit "teaches 
us all thiiigs" and "guides us into all truth" 
what are we to understand. to be the meaning? 
Not that he teaches us absolutely "all things," 
or guides us absolutely into "all truth." He 
did not lead the apostles into all scientific and 
philosophical truth. They knew nothing more 
about astronomy, or chemistry, or geology, or 
botany than other men. Neither physics nor 
metaphysics, philosophically considered, occu- 
pied their attention. Moral and spiritual truth 
was the field of their operations. Nor are we 
to suppose that the Holy Spirit led the apostles 
into a full knowledge of all moral and spiritual 
truths; but only into so much as was necessary 
to equip them for successfully preaching the 
gospel. "He shall teach you all necessary 
things, and guide you into all necessary truth." 
There is the idea. Hence, as it was not neces- 



270 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

sary to continue the miraculous "gifts" of the 
Spirit beyond the apostolic age, they "ceased," 
as Paul says, with that age. But the ordinary 
"gift" of the Holy Spirit is always necessary 
to the Christian. Hence the apostle John, 
after all the other apostles were dead, and after 
the apostolic age had virtually passed away, 
writing to Christians in a general way concern- 
ing the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts 
and lives, says: "Ye know all things — as for 
you, the anointing which ye received of him 
abideth with you, and ye need not that any one 
teach you, but his anointing teacheth you 
concerning all things" — concerning all moral 
and spiritual truth necessary for wise and con- 
secrated Christian living. We have then the 
written Word of God in our Bibles, and the 
Spirit of God in our hearts. These are distinct 
and different factors in our religious life. 
The Spirit helps us to understand the word, 
and the word helps us to understand the Spirit. 
They are never opposed to each other, but 
always co-operate harmoniously in the edifica- 
tion of Christian character and life. It is not 
held that we can distinguish, in our experience, 
between these two forces in our spiritual life; 
that we can so far analyze our feelings and 
perceptions as to point out this as the work of 
the Spirit and that as the work of the word. 



THE) word and the SPIRIT 271 

In the general result of our physical life and 
health we cannot distinguish between the 
effects of the atmosphere and the sunlight; be- 
tween the effects of a tonic and our food in the 
strength we gain; between the influences of 
physical and metaphysical causes that have 
contributed to make us what we are. But who 
will deny that there is a distinction and a dif- 
ference in fact, all along these lines? 

4. He declares to us things to come. "And 
he shall declare unto you the things that are to 
come." (John 16: 13.) The Holy Spirit then 
not only assists the memory in recalling what 
it has known in the past, but gives to the 
understanding prophetic power to forecast 
the future. While the "gift of prophecy." 
primarily belongs to the supernatural depart- 
ment of religion, and is to be classed with the 
extraordinary "gifts of the Spirit," yet there is 
a sense in which every true, earnest, intelligent 
Christian soul is a seer. The Holy Spirit aids 
the human Understanding, the mental, the 
moral and the spiritual understanding. Our 
rational, intuitional and emotional nature is 
brought into fellowship with the divine, and 
under the dominion of the Spirit of truth, in 
such way and in such measure that Ave are 
endowed, not miraculously, yet consciously en- 
dowed, with a moral and spiritual insight into 



272 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

truth. A profound Christian consciousness is a 
luminous gift. It enables the royal child of 
God to discern, and to properly estimate the 
moral and religious factors involved in the un- 
solved problems of society, and to forecast 
results which are hidden to the unrighteous 
man. It was on this ground that the Savior 
rebuked the morally blind men of his day. 
"Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the 
face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it 
that ye know not how to interpret this time?" 
(Luke 12:56.) And we read in Heb. 5: 14 of 
"those who by reason of use have their senses 
exercised to discern good and evil." And on 
this point we are further taught by Paul ( 1 Cor. 
2: 14, 15): "The natural man receiveth not the 
things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolish- 
ness unto him; and he cannot know them, 
because they are spiritually judged. But he 
that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he 
himself is judged of no man." 

With certain mathematical factors the mind 
forecasts certain results; with certain chemical 
ingredients the scientist predicts certain effects; 
with certain data before him the astronomer 
predicts definite phenomena in the heavens; 
with certain atmospheric conditions the weath- 
er-bureau man forecasts the coming storm or 
sunshine; and with equal confidence, and for 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 273 

similar reasons, the spiritual mind intuitively 
discerns, in the presence of certain moral forces, 
the essential and competent factors to certain 
enevitable moral and religious results. And, 
foreseeing these things, as a spiritual prophet, 
he proclaims them to the world. 

5. He glorifies Christ. "He shall glorify 
me; for he shall take of mine, and shall declare 
it unto you." (John 16:14.) To glorify is to 
honor, exalt, magnify. 

Christ left his work incomplete. The incar- 
nation was a great mystery. "Great is the 
mystery of godliness." As we read the gospel 
narratives, we are impressed with the idea that 
all the while the Savior was with his disciples 
on earth, they were in a dazed condition — half 
asleep, half awake, as to their understanding of 
him and his mission. It could not be other- 
wise. "God manifest in the flesh" was a new 
thought. The whole scheme of human re- 
demption was necessarily veiled in mystery. 
It is yet. The world is still "slow of heart to 
believe all that the prophets said" concerning 
the Christ; and even Christians, at their best, 
find need of help to penetrate into the depths of 
gospel truth with clear vision and with spiritual 
relish and discernment. When the Son of God 
ascended to heaven his work on earth lay in 

confusion. The coming of the Holy Spirit was 
18 



274 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

a necessity to the proclamation of the gospel 
and the establishment of the kingdom of God 
among men. All the oral instructions of the 
Master concerning himself and the Father, 
concerning human duty and the coming king- 
dom, were yet, in the minds of the disciples, in 
a chaotic state, "without form aud void, and 
darkness was upon the face of the deep.-' 
There was need that the Spirit of God should 
again "move upon the face of the waters," and 
that the Holy One might again say, "Let there 
be light." Nor has the time ever yet come, 
nor will the time ever come, to the finite soul, 
when it will not yearningly open itself and 
stretch out toward the infinite Spirit for larger 
measures of light concerning Christ and his sal- 
vation. "He shall glorify me." 

The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ in the inspi- 
ration given to the apostles — inspiration where- 
by they were enabled to understand the gospel 
of our salvation — to understand it sufficiently 
well to formulate it before the world. What a 
mighty event was Pentecost! What a marvel- 
ous transformation that of common fishermen 
into apostles of Christ, into "masters of assem- 
blies!" By a perception of truth, clearer and 
more definite than intuition, they hold spell- 
bound the multitudes, and send the gospel mes- 
saee home to the consciences of men with such 



THB WORD AND THE SPIRIT 275 

force as to make them cry out, "Men and 
brethren, what shall we do?" With an irre- 
sistible power this oral gospel is disseminated 
in Jerusalem, then in Judaea, and in Samaria, 
and to the uttermost parts of the world. "The 
weak things of the world confound the mighty, 
and things which are not bring to naught the 
things that are." Under the guidance of this 
inspiration the divine message of human re- 
demption is committed permanently to writing. 
The New Testament is given to the world — a 
book, a small volume, an outline history of 
events, an informal statement of Christian doc- 
trine, an uncodified form of divine truth and 
law, whose depth of meaning, whose breadth of 
significance, whose heights of wisdom and 
knowledge constitute at once the unsolved 
moral problem and the unexplained phenome- 
non of the world's history. By the same Spirit 
the church of God, as an organized, and yet an 
unorganized, society of believers, has been estab- 
lished, guided, defended and builded — a unique 
association, a weird fellowship, a "peculiar peo- 
ple zealous of good works," the most remarka- 
ble combination of moral and material forces in 
the world. In all these ways, and others un- 
named, has the Holy Spirit, through inspiration 
and revelation, "glorified" Christ. And he is 
yet glorifying him through an enlarged, an 



276 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

enlarging and more vigorous Christian con- 
sciousness. "He shall abide with you forever ■," 
is the promise. 

Since the days of supernatural inspiration 
(there is a supernatural and a natural inspira- 
tion) the Holy Spirit has been incessantly at 
work with the human mind and in the human 
heart. And he is glorifying Christ to-day — 
glorifying him through the increased insight he 
is giving men into his revealed word of truth; 
glorifying him in the increased understanding 
he is giving men of the true nature and charac- 
ter of the Christ himself; glorifying him in the 
increased Christian literature of the world; 
glorifying him in the music and splendid psalm- 
ody indited by Christian hearts and employed 
in the worship of the church; glorifying him 
through a sanctified aesthetical taste and cul- 
ture, whereby the true, the beautiful and the 
good are portrayed in works of art, and brought 
through the physical sense in touch with man's 
spiritual understanding; glorifying him through 
the conscious experience of the individual Chris- 
tian as he communes with God over his per- 
sonal sorrows and burdens, his duties and re- 
sponsibilities, his efforts and opportunities — 
communes with God until he feels the touch of 
the unseen hand, until the way is made clear, 



THK WORD AND THE SPIRIT 277 

and light and peace and joy break in upon the 
soul. 

The chief question with each one of us should 
be, How may the Holy Spirit, in the largest 
measure, glorify Christ to me, and glorify 
Christ through me? 

6. He strengthens the Christian. "For this 
cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from 
whom every family in heaven and on earth is 
named, that he would grant you, according to 
the riches of his glory, that ye may be strength- 
ened with power through his Spirit in the in- 
ward man." (Eph. 3 '14-16.) Paul earnestly 
prays to the Father for something. What is it? 
"That he would grant according to the riches 
of his glory." It is God then that grants this 
blessing — grants it in answer to prayer. What 
blessing? "That ye may be strengthened with 
power through his Spirit in the inward man." 
The Christian then may receive additional 
"power" to his own; and this power "strength- 
ens" him — strengthens him "in the inward 
man" — in his heart; and all this is "through 
his Spirit." The same apostle makes a simi- 
lar prayer in behalf of his brethren at Colosse. 
Hear him: "For this cause we also, since the 
day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make 
request for you, that ye may be filled with the 
knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom 



278 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

and understanding, to walk worthily of the 
Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every 
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of 
God; strengthened with all power, according to 
the might of his glory, unto all patience and 
long suffering with joy." (Col. 1:9-11.) What 
richness of conception! What wealth of ex- 
pression! Paul's personal experience in regard 
to this matter is directly in point, and very val- 
uable. ^Wlien I am weak, then am I strong" 
he says. And this is a moral conflict of which 
he is speaking. Paul had a physical infirmity, 
"a thorn in the flesh;" and he says, "Concern- 
ing this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that 
it might depart from me, and he said unto me, 
My grace is sufficient for thee, for my power is 
made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:8, 9.) 
Hence his general conclusion — "When I am 
weak, then am I strong." Weak in himself, 
but "strong in the Lord and in the power of his 
might." Made strong through the personal 
presence and personal ministry of the Spirit of 
God in the "inner man." Chaste thoughts, 
delicacy of expression, refinement of feelings 
and suavity of manner, come with the higher 
forms of culture and civilization. The boor 
will have none of these things. The rustic in- 
veighs against them. The church and even the 
ministry sometimes have their rustics — men 



THE WORD AND THE) SPIRIT 279 

who only know the "letter," but not the 
"spirit" of religion, who have "a form of god- 
liness, but deny the power thereof;" men who 
are not content to recognize the fact that, possi- 
bly, wherein they fail to lay hold upon these 
higher forms of Christian thought and life, of 
appreciation and enjoyment, others may find the 
chief staple of their spiritual living, the essential 
and vital part of their religious being. These 
men feel called upon at times to disparage the 
reality and the value of what the more intelligent 
Christian regards as the genuine Christianity of 
the Bible; and they even ridicule the idea of 
the Holy Spirit's sanctifying personal ministry 
to the soul. Their crude effusions on this sub- 
ject in the public prints, and their effrontery in 
dogmatic deliverances, not unfrequently offend 
good taste, and humiliate many reverent and 
godly people. In the meanwhile the work of 
grace still goes on, the ministry of the Spirit 
continues, and it is not impossible that even 
these men may be brought to a "knowledge of 
the truth," and cease to do "despite unto the 
Spirit of grace." 

7. He intercedes for us. "And in like man- 
ner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity; for we 
know not how to pray as we ought; but the 
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with 
groanings which cannot be uttered; and he that 



280 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind 
of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession 
for the saints according to the will of God." 
(Rom. 8:26, 27.) This is a rare bit of divine 
truth; a most luxuriant passage of that most 
luxuriant epistle of Paul to the Romans — lux- 
uriant in spiritual thought and suggestiveness. 
Let us consider it item by item. "T/ie Spirit 
itself maketh i?itercession for us; . . . he mak- 
eth intercession according to the will of God. ' ' 
There is the plain declaration, in duplicate 
form. What matters it if this is the only in- 
stance in the Scriptures where the Holy Spirit 
is said to intercede for the saints — is this not 
sufficient? Christ intercedes for us in heaven; 
the Spirit intercedes for us on earth. Christ in- 
tercedes for us before the law and the divine 
government; the Spirit intercedes for us be- 
fore the conscience, and the spiritual under- 
standing. The intercession of Christ in heaven 
before the law touches earth with its effects. 
The intercession of the Spirit on earth, before 
the spiritual understanding of man, touches 
heaven with its effects. Christ and the Spirit 
are not opposing counselors in this case, they 
are co-counselors, both seeking to attain the 
reconciliation of the human and the divine; not 
operating precisely in the same methods, yet 
co-operating for substantially the same ends. 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 281 

We have in Christ the incarnation; and we have 
in the Christian an incarnation. There is cer- 
tainly an essential difference here, and the dis- 
tinction should be clearly made. The Holy 
Spirit dwelt in the body of Christ and he be- 
came the God-man. The Holy Spirit dwells in 
the Christian and he becomes a godly man. 
Spiritual law in the natural world in the one in- 
stance, natural law in the spiritual world in the 
other. We have the supernatural Christ and 
we have the natural Christian; both the product 
of the Infinite Spirit operating in spheres and 
by methods we do not understand. We accept 
the facts, but presume not to venture upon their 
explanation. 

If Christ intercedes in heaven for man, he 
must exercise an active, personal ministry that 
is helpful to man. If the Holy Spirit inter- 
cedes on earth for us, he must exercise an ac- 
tive, personal ministry that is helpful to us. 
" Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirm- 
ity." Yes, "our infirmity!" That men are 
weak through the flesh — that "the flesh lusteth 
against the Spirit," needs not to be argued. 
That we desire and seek assistance in the great 
moral struggle of life is a matter of conscious 
experience with all good men. How does "the 
Spirit help our infirmity"? He helps us to 
order our thoughts and prayers wisely before 



282 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

God. "We know not how to pray as we ought; 
but the Spirit maketh intercession for us." 
The incompetency of men to pray is attested 
not only by human consciousness, but by the 
Word of God. "You ask and receive not be- 
cause you ask amiss." (James 4:3.) "You 
know not what you ask." (Matt. 20:22.) "If 
we ask anything according to his will, he hear- 
eth us." (1 John 5:14). Does the Holy Spirit 
have anything to do with our praying? Listen! 
"Praying in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1: 20). 
"Praying, at all seasons, in the Spirit." (Eph. 
6:18.) "The Spirit itself maketh intercession 
forus.' 1 (Rom. 8:26.) 

How does the Holy Spirit help us to pray? 
We are not required to explain that. We may 
not be able to comprehend the fact were it set 
before us. We can conceive of impressions 
and suggestions from the Holy Spirit, conveyed, 
we know not how, to the human heart, that 
would be very helpful to the burdened soul. In 
the text before us, the writer seems to have 
touched bottom in the ethical and pathetical 
side of the subject — "The Spirit maketh inter- 
cession for us with groan ings which cannot be 
uttered." The idea of the inadequacy of lan- 
guage, even when the Spirit is lending his as- 
sistance, and of the adequacy of "groanings," 
through the helpful sympathy of the Holy 



THE WORD AND THE) SPIRIT 283 

Spirit, is here suggested to us. It is no uncom- 
mon thing for men to be oppressed with anxious 
care and deep grief, to such a measure that 
language fails them. It is no uncommon thing 
for the soul thus burdened to give vent to its 
emotions by "groanings." Even this brings 
its relief. If such is its experience in its soli- 
tary struggles, may it not be thus, and even 
more so, when the Holy Spirit "helpeth our 
infirmity," and "maketh intercession for us 
with groanings which cannot be uttered?" 

The difference is, and a mighty difference, 
too, that these ' 'groanings," when inspired by 
the ministry of the Spirit, are wisely directed, 
"because he maketh intercession for the saints 
according to the will of God." How gladly 
should the Christian avail himself of the inter- 
cessory work of the Holy Spirit, praying al- 
ways — "praying at all seasons, in the Spirit." 

8. He bears witness of our adoption. "Ye 
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we 
cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth 
witness with our spirit, that we are children of 
God." (Rom. 8:15, 16.) "God sent forth his 
Son . . . that we might receive the adop- 
tion of sons. And because ye are sons, God 
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 
crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4: 4-6.) "My 



284 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLKA 

conscience bearing witness with, me in the 
Holy Spirit." (Rom. 9:1.) 

This last quotation is made not because it 
refers to the subject of adoption, but because it 
bears directly and pointedly upon the matter of 
the Spirit's "bearing witness." Paul is here 
speaking of his own deep feeling of interest in 
the spiritual wellfare of his Jewish brethren. 
Hear him: "I say the truth in Christ, I lie 
not, my conscience bearing witness with me in 
the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and 
unceasing pain in my heart. For I could 
wish that I myself were anathema from Christ 
for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according 
to the flesh." Paul's moral nature, his moral 
sense "in the Holy Spirit," as affected and in- 
fluenced by the Spirit, assured Paul of his own 
intense fraternal feeling toward the Jews — "my 
conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy 
Spirit." In the same way Paul teaches us that 
the Holy Spirit bears witness in the matter of 
the Christian's adoption, his sonship with God. 
^The Spirit himself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are children of God." Why not? 
If the Holy Spirit, in his relation to Paul's 
moral nature, made Paul conscious of his in- 
tense fraternal feeling toward the Jews, why 
should he not, in his relation to Paul's spirit- 
ual nature, make him conscious of his own 



THE WORD AND THK SPIRIT 285 

filial feeling toward the Heavenly Father? 
Can a man have a filial heart toward God and 
not be a child of God? And how does he ob- 
tain this filial heart? Listen again to Paul: 
"God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our 
hearts, crying, Abba, Father." God did some- 
thing — what was it? Answer: "God sent 
forth the Spirit into our hearts." And then 
the Spirit "in our hearts" did something. 
What was it? Answer: "Crying, Abba, Fath- 
er." A little metonymy here. It is the human 
spirit" that cries, "Abba, Father;" but it does 
so through the influence of the Holy Spirit — 
"Whereby we cry, Abba, Father," is the way 
Paul puts it in the first passage at the head of 
this section. 

Through his moral consciousness, then, man 
recognizes himself as being definitely affected 
toward his fellow men, and as being definitely 
related to them; and through his spiritual con- 
sciousness he recognizes himself as being defi- 
nitely affected toward God, and as being 
definitely related to him. The Holy Spirit, 
then, operates from without on the human 
mind, through the gospel of Christ, along with 
the gospel of Christ, and not without the gos- 
pel of Christ; and thus convicts the rflind and 
converts the soul, and leads the man, through 
the gospel truth, into discipleship with Christ, 



286 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

and into sonship with God. The divine 
Father then sends the Spirit of his Son into 
the heart where he operates through the word 
of truth, along with the word of truth, and 
not without the word of truth, creating in the 
heart a spiritual consciousness of filial relation- 
ship whereby the child of God cries, "Abba, 
Father." It is in this way, as we understand 
it, that u the Spirit himself beareth witness 
with our spirit that we are children of God." 
9. He renews us. "According to his mercy 
he saved us, through the washing of regenera- 
tion and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which 
he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus 
Christ our Savior." (Titus 3:5.) "Be not 
fashioned according to this world: but be ye 
transformed by the renewing of your mind." 
(Rom. 12: 2.) "Though our outward man is 
decaying, yet the inward man is renewed day 
by day." (2 Cor. 4:16.) "Put away, as con- 
cerning your former life, the old man, who 
waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and 
be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put 
on the new man, who after God hath been 
created in righteousness and holiness of truth." 
(Eph. 4:22-24.) "You have put off the old 
man with his doings, and have put on the new 
man, who is being renewed unto knowledge 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 287 

after the image of him that created him." 
(Col. 3:10.) 

These Scriptures, which might be easily 
multiplied, indicate clearly the fact of a great 
moral change contemplated in the religion of 
Jesus Christ; and point out in some measure 
the nature of that change, as well as the agency 
through which it is accomplished. While a 
man's individuality is not disturbed nor his 
identity lost in the revolution experienced in 
becoming a Christian, yet that revolution is 
so radical as to call for very strong expressions 
in any attempt to convey an adequate idea of 
it. The "old man" and the "new man" are 
set in contrast before us — "the old man with 
his doings" is said to be "put off," while the 
"new man, who is renewed unto knowledge 
after the image of him that created him," is 
"put on." The similitude of doffing old 
clothes and donning new ones is suggestive 
when applied to character; and would seem to 
mean more than is sometimes observed in men 
professing Christianity. That this is true is 
made to appear in the further unfolding of the 
subject by the same apostle. "The old man 
who waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit," 
is represented as being "put away" while the 
same person is said to be "renewed in the 
spirit of his mind, and puts on the new man, 



288 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

who after God hath been created in righteous- 
ness and holiness of truth." This implies 
something more than "joining the church," 
something far more significant than making a 
"profession of religion." The "inward man," 
"the spirit of your mind," is "renewed," is 
redressed, rehabilitated "in righteousness and 
holiness," and "unto knowledge after the 
image of him that created him." What dig- 
nity of character! What nobility of Christian 
manhood! What change, what revolution, 
what transformation, so great, so real, so im- 
portant as this? It will help us to understand 
this subject if we recall the fact that it is the 
same original term employed in the Scriptures 
when they speak of the transfiguration of 
Christ that is used in speaking of our moral 
transfiguration — metamorphoo, metamorphose. 
In his account of this event Mark says: "He 
was transfigured before them; and his garments 
became glistening, exceeding white, so as no 
fuller on earth can whiten them." While 
Matthew says: "He was transfigured before 
them; and his face did shine as the sun, and 
his garments became white as the light." 

Now turning from this scene to the other we 
read: "Be not fashioned according to this 
world: but be ye transfigured by the renewing 
of your mind." And then again in 2 Cor. 



THE) WORD AND THB SPIRIT 289 

3:18, we hear as follows: "We all, with un- 
veiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory 
of the Lord, are transfigured into the same 
image from glory to glory, even as from the 
Lord the Spirit." 

Let it be noted carefully that this wonderful 
transfiguration within us of our moral charac- 
ter and our spiritual life is "from the Lord the 
Spirit y As presented to us in the first text 
quoted above under this item, we have God 
achieving this result through the means and 
agencies of his own appointment, thus: "Ac- 
cording to his mercy he saved us, through the 
washing of regeneration and renewing of the 
Holy Spirit which he poured out upon us richly 
through Jesus Christ our Savior." Language 
could not be more explicit. This is the work 
of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men. 

But now let us carefully note the fact that 

this great spiritual change, this transformation 

of character, this transfiguration of life, is not 

an instantaneous, miraculous work of grace. 

"The inward man is renewed day by day" is 

the scriptural idea. It is a process. It is a 

question of time for its full development and 

complete realization. Again, it is the result of 

personal effort — ' ' You have put off the old man 

with his doings" — " You have put on the new 

man." And yet, it is personal agency co-op- 
19 



290 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

erating with divine agency — "Who is being 
renewed" — "Who after God hath been created 
in righteousness and holiness." A religion 
that excludes human agency is fatalism. A re- 
ligion that excludes divine agency is rational- 
ism. A religion that includes both human and 
divine agency, properly adjusted and properly 
proportioned, is Christ ism — Christianity. 

10. He anoints and sanctifies us. Under the 
old dispensation persons were set apart from the 
ordinary vocations of life to the special services 
of religion by anointing them with oil. In the 
twenty-eighth chapter of Exodus we find Moses 
instructed concerning the separation of Aaron 
and his sons to the priestly office — "Thou shalt 
anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanc- 
tify them, that they may minister unto me in 
the priest's office." And in giving further in- 
structions in the twenty-ninth chapter, God 
says: "Then shalt thou take the anointing oil 
and pour it upon his head, and anoint him." 

In the tenth chapter of Acts, the Apostle 
Peter, preaching concerning Jesus of Nazareth, 
says: "God anointed him with the Holy Spirit 
and with power." And in the same line of 
thought Paul writes to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 
1:21), after this manner: "He that stablish- 
eth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is 
God." 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 291 

The Apostle John also speaks very pointedly 
and tenderly of this matter, (i John 2:20-27.) 
"You have an anointing from the Holy One, 
and ye know all things. . . . The anoint- 
ing which ye received of him abideth in you, 
and ye need not that any one teach you; but 
his anointing teacheth you concerning all 
things." 

In Rom. 15:16 the Apostle Paul, speaking of 
his special ministry to the Gentiles, and his 
preaching to them the gospel through the grace 
given him of God, says all this was in order 
"that the offering up of the Gentiles might be 
made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy 
Spirit." 

And in writing to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 
2:13), he says: "We are boimd to give thanks 
to God alway for you, brethren beloved of the 
Lord, for that God chose you from the begin- 
ning unto salvation in sanctification of the 
Spirit and belief of the truth." 

The- Apostle Peter, also in his general epistle 
to the dispersed Christians, reminds them of 
their election, "According to the foreknowl- 
edge of God the Father, in sanctification of the 
Spirit." (1 Pet. 1:2). 

To sanctify is to make holy. To make holy 
is to separate from sin — from its practice, from 
its guilt, from its effects. We speak now of 



292 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLFA 

sanctification as applied to personal character. 
The Holy Spirit is an essential factor in sepa- 
rating a man from sin and making him holy in 
heart and in life. This process begins with the 
first act of the soul's surrender to Christ, and 
continues with every effort it makes to free it- 
self from the dominion of sin; and until its final 
emancipation from all the direful effects of sin — 
its direful effects on the physical, intellectual 
and moral nature of man. In referring to this 
subject the Scriptures sometimes speak of sanc- 
tification as effected in our first formal separa- 
tion from the world and identification with 
Christ and his church. Thus Paul addressed 
the saints in Corinth as, "them that are sanc- 
tified in Christ Jesus." And subsequently, in 
i Cor. 6:n, he says: "Ye were washed, ye were 
sanctified, ye were justified in the name of the 
Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our 
God." This view of sanctification considers 
it as already accomplished. Yet every Chris- 
tian knows that his separation from sin is not 
completed in his first formal commitment to 
Christ. The practice of sin must now cease, 
and the effects of sin must yet be overcome. 

A broader view of this subject is taken by 
Paul in i Thess. 5:23: "The God of peace 
sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and 
soul and body be preserved entire, without 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 293 

blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
It is the Holy Spirit then that sanctifies us; 
and in this gracious work he is said to be 
"poured" out — "I will pour forth of my Spirit 
upon all flesh." This is said in allusion to the 
pouring of oil in the consecrating service of 
the Jewish religion. And this is John's idea 
when he speaks of the "anointing which ye 
received," and, "the anointing from the Holy 
One." Paul says: "He that anointed us is 
God." 

It is this anointing from the Holy One, this 
sanctification of the Spirit that makes the 
souls of sinful men "acceptable" unto God — 
"That the offering up of the Gentiles might 
be made acceptable, being sanctifed by the Holy 
Spirit y And it is in line with this thought 
that Paul (Rom. 12:1.) exhorts his brethren 
after this style: "I beseech you, therefore, 
brethren, by the mercies of God, to present 
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable 
unto God, which is your spiritual service." 

11. He bears fruit within us. "The fruit 
of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, 
temperance." (Gal. 5: 22.) 

We gather fruit from trees, and without the 
tree there can be no fruit. The Holy Spirit is 
here presented to us under the figure of a tree 



294 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

bearing fruit. And what a rich cluster of fruits 
— "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, 
goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance!" 
What a unique tree to produce such fruit! 
Without the Holy Spirit how different the fruit 
produced by human nature — "Fornication, un- 
cleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, 
enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, 
divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, rev- 
elings, and such like." (Gal. 5: 19.) The 
difference between this latter catalogue of fruits 
and the former indicates the introduction of a 
new factor, a new force, a new influence into 
human life. By the process of grafting the 
quality of the fruit which a tree produces may 
be radically changed. So the Holy spirit 
operating in the human heart changes the 
moral quality of the feelings. The Holy Spirit 
and his fruits are not to be identified. This 
would be to identify cause and effect. The 
Holy Spirit so moves upon the human heart as 
to create in it a spirit of holiness; but this 
spirit of holiness and the Holy Spirit are no 
more the same than the love which a mother in- 
spires in the heart of her child is the same as 
the mother. Through that love thus planted 
in the child's heart the mother and the child 
are brought into sympathy and fellowship with 
each other. So through the spirit of holiness 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 295 

created in trie human heart, the human spirit 
and the Holy Spirit are brought into fellowship 
or communion with each other. 

In Rom. 5:5 Paul says: "The love of God 
hath been shed abroad in our hearts through 
the Holy Spirit that was given unto us." 
Whether this means God's love to us, as some 
commentators hold, or our love to God, as 
others teach, it matters not. The result is sub- 
stantially the same. If the Holy Spirit makes 
us sensible of God's love toward us, this awak- 
ens love in our hearts in response toward God. 
"We love him because he first loved us." 
And thus our love to God is "shed abroad in 
our hearts through the Holy Spirit that was 
given unto us." It is in this view of the sub- 
ject that the Scriptures speak of "the love of 
the Spirit," and of "love in the Spirit." 

Joy, as the fruit of the Spirit, is frequently 
mentioned in the Word of God. "And the dis- 
ciples were filled with joy and with the Holy 
Spirit." (Acts 13:52.) "The kingdom of God 
is joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17.) 
And in writing to the Thessalonians, the apos- 
tle speaks of their "having received the word 
in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit." 
(1 Thess. 1:6.) And no Christian grace is more 
emphasized in the divine Scriptures than 
peace," another "fruit of the Spirit." The 



C i 



296 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

Savior was wont to say unto his disciples, 
"Peace be unto you." In the Gospel of John 
20: 21, 22, we read: "Jesus therefore said to 
them again, Peace be unto you; as the Father 
hath sent me, even so send I you. And he 
breathed on them, and saith unto them, Re- 
ceive ye the Holy Spirit." And the apostles 
often invoke the benediction of peace upon 
those to whom they write. Thus Paul, in the 
introduction of his epistles to the church in 
Rome and also at Corinth says: "Grace to you 
and peace from God our Father and the Lord 
Jesus Christ." And he again says: "To be 
spiritually minded is life and peace." /Uso in 
Rom. 15:13 hear him: "Now the God of hope 
fill you with all joy and peace in believing that 
ye may abound in hope, in the power of the 
Holy Spirit." In the same epistle he further 
declares: "The kingdom of God is not meat 
and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy 
in the Holy Spirit." 

While it is true, and a truth that should never 
be ignored, that human nature has its good as 
well as its evil impulses, yet it is a fact that we 
cannot appreciate too highly, that the noblest 
tendencies of our being, our purest and most 
spiritual feelings and desires, our chief moral 
and religious virtues, are the "fruit of the Holy 
Spirit:' 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 297 

* 

12. He enables us to know — to know the 
divine. "This is life eternal, that they should 
know thee, the « only true God, and him whom 
thou didst send, even Jesus Christ." (John 17: 
3.) "If you had known me, you would have 
known my Father also; from henceforth you 
know him." (John 14:7.) "I will pray the 
Father, and he shall give you another Comfort- 
er, that he may be with you forever, even the 
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive; 
for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: 
you know him; for he abideth with you and 
shall be in you." (John 14:16,17.) "You 
have an anointing from the Holy One, and you 
know all things. I have not written unto you 
because you know not the truth, but because 

you know it The anointing which 

you received of him abideth in you, and you 
need not that any one teach you; but his anoint- 
ing teacheth you concerning all things and is 
true." (1 John 2:20-27.) "Iknow him whom 
I have believed." (2 Tim. 1:12.) 

This phase of our subject was discussed, in 
some measure, in a preceding section, but it is 
important enough to be enlarged upon from an- 
other view — to be extended in another direc- 
tion. And it is on this account that the same 
passages are sometimes quoted a second, or 
-even a third time. Men not unfrequently preach 



298 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

very different sermons from the same text of 
Scripture, and yet their different lines of 
thought may be authorized by the text. Truth 
is manifold, many-sided, and is susceptible of 
various applications. 

The discussion heretofore on this point has 
had reference to the assistance given us to 
recognize moral and spiritual truth when 
revealed to us. In the present investigation, 
reference is had to our ability to recognize, not 
divine truth so much as divine being. 

"This is eternal life that they should know 
thee, the only true God, and him whom thou 
didst send, even Jesus Christ." What a pathetic 
utterance that of Christ, "O righteous Father, 
the world knew thee not.'' He says also in 
another place, "They know not him that sent 
me." And Paul writes to the Thessalonians 
of "The Gentiles who know not God;" and 
then of Jesus Christ "taking vengeance on 
them that know not God." 

While all men are endowed with an intuitive 
power by which they perceive God, yet they 
need to be aided in the right use and exercise 
of it, in order to an adequate and satisfying ap- 
prehension of the divine Being. It is the Holy 
Spirit that lends this aid — lends it according to 
man's moral condition and receptive capacity. 
Concerning this Holy Spirit, the Savior says, 



THE WORD AND THB SPIRIT 299 

"The world cannot receive him, neither know 
him," for the reason that, in their spiritual 
blindness, they "beholdeth him not." But 
with his disciples, whom he had led, partially, 
at that time, though not fully, out of darkness 
into light, it was otherwise. To them the 
Master said, "You know him." And he then 
proceeds to explain, "For he abideth with you 
and shall be in you." He has been and is now 
operating on your understanding, and he shall 
hereafter operate upon your hearts. It is in 
allusion to this partial and fuller apprehension 
of the divine Nature that the Son of God said 
to his disciples: "If you had known me, you 
would have known my Father also; and from 
henceforth you know him.'''' If the "anointing 
from the Holy One" enabled the disciple to 
know the truth, to recognize moral and spirit- 
ual truth when revealed to him, much more 
does it make clear his spiritual vision to discern 
God, the author of all truth. 

Can you persuade the truly awakened and 
enlightened Christian that the idea of God is 
all a dream, that Christ is a fiction, that the 
Holy Spirit is a myth? Paul said, "I know 
him whom I have believed." To "know" 
God means something more than to believe in 
God. We begin in faith and grow into knowl- 
edge. I now "know him," says Paul, "whom 



300 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

I have believed," heretofore. The Christ of 
history, the Christ of God, the divine Christ 
can be recognized in his true nature and char- 
acter only by the helpful ministry of the Holy 
Spirit — "No man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in 
the Holy Spirit." (i Cor. 12:3.) 

13. He comforts us. "So the church 
throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, 
had peace, being edified; and, walking in the 
fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the 
Holy Spirit, was multiplied." (i\.cts 9:31.) 
"In the comfort of the Holy Spirit " can only 
mean that the Holy Spirit comforts us. "In 
the fear of the Lord," means our fear toward 
the Lord, and not his fear toward us. "In the 
comfort of the Holy Spirit," means the Spirit's 
comfort to us, and not our comfort to the Spirit. 
This does not need to be argued. One of the 
names applied to the Holy Spirit, in the Scrip- 
tures, is "Comforter." "I will pray the Father, 
and he shall give you another Comforter." 
(John 14:16.) "But the Comforter, even the 
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my 
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring 
to your remembrance all that I said unto you." 
(John 14:26). What has already been said in 
regard to the work of the Holy Spirit in our 
hearts will serve to indicate, in part at least, 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 301 

the manner in which he gives comfort to the 
Christian. 

If the Holy Spirit "leads" and "guides" 
the Christian into the perception of divine 
truth hitherto undiscerned by him; if he recalls 
to our "remembrance" truth already known 
but now forgotten; if by suggestion or impres- 
sion or original thought pertaining to new or 
old truth, or by the removal of obstructions to 
the entrance of light, or the removal of diffi- 
culties and hindrances to its due observance and 
just appreciation, he brings "peace" to the 
anxious, troubled soul; if by "shedding abroad 
in our hearts the love of God" — -God's love to 
us or our love to God, a deeper sense of the 
divine philanthropy and of our own filial rela- 
tion and affection toward the Heavenly Father 
is inspired in those hearts; if this gracious min- 
istry, in any wise, plants "joy" in this pilgrim 
life, especially if it be that divine measure of 
joy — "joy unspeakable and full of glory;" if it 
places the child of God in position to "abound 
in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit" — 
hope with reference to victories in this life, 
or the final victory of eternal life; if it "helps" 
and "strengthens" him to "gird up the loins of 
his mind" with greater faith and endurance, 
and to "lift up the hands that hang down and 
the feeble knees" — if the Holy Spirit by his 



302 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

holy ministry does all these things, may we not 
believe that there is a "comfort" in that min- 
istry to be found nowhere else? 

14. He seals us, and is the earnest of our 
inheritance. "Ye were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our 
inheritance." (Eph. 1:13,14.) "Who also 
sealed us, * and gave us the earnest of the Spirit 
in our hearts." (2 Cor. 1:22.) "Now he that 
wrought us for this very thing is God, who 
gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit." (2 Cor. 
5:5.) "And not only so, but ourselves also, 
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we 
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for 
our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our 
body." (Rom. 8:23.) 

The idea here is that God sends the Holy 
Spirit into the heart and life of his child as a 
seal is placed on a business document. The 
metaphor evidently means something, and was 
intended to teach us a lesson concerning the 
work of the Spirit in the Christian. A seal 
properly applied to a document means an official 
recognition of the parties to the transaction. 
If the parties are not personally known, they 
cannot be officially recognized and known as 
parties to the transaction in hand. The official 
seal thus affixed is an authoritative approval 
of the parties to the transaction — approval so 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 303 

far as the given transaction is concerned. It is 
also official endorsement of the validity of the 
transaction, and places the parties and the 
transaction within the sphere of responsibility 
to the law governing the case. Figures are 
not to be pressed too far. They are only in- 
tended to illustrate truth, and not to exemplify 
it in detail. We may safely say, however, that 
when the Heavenly Father gives the Holy 
Spirit to those who seek him, it is his official 
approval and endorsement of the validity of 
their claims, and a recognition of the legiti- 
macy of the transactions involved in the case. 
"Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of prom- 
ise" can mean nothing less than that, and that 
certainly means very much. And it may be 
added that an official seal gives public notice 
and information of the facts recognized, ap- 
proved and endorsed by the seal, and pertain- 
ing to the transaction, whatever that may be. 
Without this seal a grave defect would attach 
to every interest involved. We have shown in 
a preceding section that the presence of the 
Holy Spirit in the heart is made manifest to 
the world by the effects produced on the char- 
acter of the subject, by the "fruit" exhibited 
in the life — love, joy, peace, etc. This fruit, 
this change into the likeness of Christ, gives 
information to the world that God has given 



304 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

his Holy Spirit to the Christian. Need we add 
that without this gift of the Holy Spirit, with- 
out this divine seal, a grave and fatal defect 
attaches to all our professions and pretensions 
in the matter of religion? 

But this gift is also "the earnest of the 
Spirit in our hearts," and "an earnest of our 
inheritance," called also "the first fruits of the 
Spirit." The first fruits of the harvest are a 
pledge and assurance of a more bountiful 
blessing in store for the future. An "earnest" 
is a foretaste, an advance payment certifying 
and securing a covenant for larger measures of 
grace, for full payment of purchase price. 
That which follows the "earnest," the "ad- 
vance payment," the "first fruits," is the same 
in quality, but more abundant in quantity than 
the foretaste. As gracious, as comforting, as 
strengthening to the child of God as the Holy 
Spirit in his heart may be, yet it is not difficult 
to believe that this is only an "earnest of our 
inheritance," only the first fruits of the Spirit, 
and that heaven will be far more abundant of 
"love, joy and peace." And, believing with 
Paul that "He that wrought us for this very 
thing is God," we can also with him say, "We 
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adop- 
tion, to wit, the redemption of our body." As 
we were "adopted" into the earthly family, the 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 305 

church, and received the "spirit of adoption," 
so shall we be "adopted" into the heavenly 
family, the "Church of the first born," and 
receive the "spirit of adoption" in larger 
measure. 

We have now brought to the attention of the 
reader fourteen things which the Scriptures 
declare the Holy Spirit does in the human 
heart. Bach of these topics is a fit theme for a 
discourse. We commend them in this light to 
the preachers of the gospel. 

WHAT WE MAY DO TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

Throughout this discussion it has been as- 
sumed that in all his operations on the hu- 
man soul the Holy Spirit moves in harmony 
with the established laws of spiritual natures; 
that he is ever observant of those laws, and so 
operates as in no wise to infract or disturb 
them ; that the human mind was endowed with 
the capacity to think and feel and will, and 
that the unrestrained exercise of these functions 
is at all times necessary to the freedom of 
choice, which in turn is necessary to give a 
moral cast to action and character. We are 
now to consider the operations of the human 
spirit on the Holy Spirit, and we assume the 

same principles to obtain in this case as in the 
20 



306 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

former. The Holy Spirit thinks, feels and 
wills; has free volitional power, and conse- 
quently moral character. The Scriptures plainly 
teach that the human spirit may operate upon 
and affect the divine nature. In this investi- 
gation we are not to lose sight of the fact that 
there is a vast difference, however, between 
these two natures, the human and the divine. 
The one is finite, the other is infinite; the one 
is mighty, the other is almighty; the one is 
peccable, the other is immaculate. The dif- 
ference, however, between the capacity of each 
to affect and influence the other is probably not 
so great as these varying attributes might sug- 
gest, since each is limited in its power to move 
upon the other by the fact that the other is 
invested with personality, freedom of choice, 
and moral character, and all operations of the 
subject toward the object must be in full recog- 
nition of these essential attributes. 

Now to the subject in hand — What may the 
human spirit do to affect the Holy Spirit? 

i. We may resist the Holy Spirit. "Ye do 
always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers 
did, so do ye." (Acts 7: 51.) "As Jannes and 
Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist 
the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate con- 
cerning the faith." (2 Tim. 3:8.) "Be subject, 



THK WORD AND THK SPIRIT 307 

therefore, unto God; but resist the devil and 
he will flee from you." (James 4:7.) 

This last passage is introduced because of 
its indirect bearing on the subject. "Be sub- 
ject, therefore, unto God." This clearly im- 
plies that we may receive or resist the 
approaches of the divine nature. In the exer- 
cise of our personal freedom we may open or 
blockade the way of ingress for the ministry of 
the Spirit of God. "Resist the devil and he 
will flee from you," indicates also this same 
capacity on the part of one spirit to resist an- 
other. 

"As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so 
do these also resist the truth." Here one 
human spirit resists another human spirit. 
But more than that. Moses was God's minis- 
ter, and the Holy Spirit wrought in him and 
through him. And to resist Moses is to resist 
the Holy Spirit, and also to "resist the truth" 
which the Holy Spirit uttered through Moses. 
"Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit," 
said Stephen. It is the work of the Holy 
Spirit to implant truth in the human mind, 
and to inspire the soul with the purest and 
holiest emotions, impulses and tendencies. In 
whatever ways, means, or methods the Holy 
Spirit may instil into our souls these divine 
thoughts, incentives and impulses for good, we 



308 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

resist him when we resist these thoughts, in- 
centives and impulses. And when we follow 
these we are "led by the Spirit," and "guided" 
by the Spirit, and "taught" by the Spirit, and 
"sanctified" by the Spirit. 

2. We may do despite unto the Spirit. 
In the Epistle to the Hebrews (10:29), we 
read of those, "Who have trodden under foot 
the Son of God, and have counted the blood of 
the covenant, wherewith they were sanctified, 
an unholy thing, and have done despite unto 
the Spirit of grace." Despite — that is a very 
strong expression. It implies thought and feel- 
ing — intense thought and unholy feeling of one 
intelligent being toward another; in the pres- 
ent instance, of the human spirit toward the 
divine Spirit. Nor need we assume the atti- 
tude of personal animosity or intentional disre- 
spect toward the Holy Spirit in order to reach 
that end. We need only to think and feel and 
live out of harmony with a holy spirit in order 
to do despite to the Holy Spirit. The sin we 
are considering is so classified in the text 
above as to indicate the degree of its sinful- 
ness — "trodden under foot the Son of God," 
"counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith 
he was sanctified, an unholy thing," "done 
despite unto the Spirit of grace." A man 
might become more criminal, but he could not 



THK WORD AND THE SPIRIT 309 

well become more sinful. He might commit 
other acts of violence toward men, but he could 
not well make his spiritual nature more de- 
praved. When a man turns his back on relig- 
ion the die is cast. He may go on "heaping 
up wrath against the day of wrath," but all 
subsequent sins are but exponents of this lost 
virtue; exponents of a nature that has suffered 
a moral eclipse, of a character that has passed 
into a state of spiritual atrophy. "Trodden 
under foot the Son of God, ' ' means more than 
neglecting the Son of God, more than disobey- 
ing the Son of God. "Counted the blood of the 
covenant an unholy thing, ' ' means more than to 
count it an unnecessary thing. And to "do 
despite unto the Spirit of grace" means more 
than to disregard or even to dislike the Holy 
Spirit. And yet these incipient sins always 
prepare the way for the graver and grosser ones. 
He who neglects and disobeys the Son of God 
habitually will soon reach the point where he 
can "tread him under foot" with disdain. He 
who counts the blood of the covenant an unnec- 
essary thing, will come later on to "count it an 
unholy thing." And he who habitually disre- 
gards the impulses for good which the Holy 
Spirit plants in his heart, will soon come to 
dislike them, and later on to "do despite" unto 
them, and to the Holy Spirit himself. 



310 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

3. We may grieve the Holy Spirit. "Grieve 
not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were 
sealed unto the day of redemption." (Eph. 
4:30.) "They rebelled and grieved his Holy 
Spirit." (Isa. 63:10.) 

Doing despite unto the Spirit involves an 
experience in the human heart; grieving the 
Holy Spirit involves an experience in the 
divine nature. The perverted moral conditions 
in man that lead him to do despite unto the 
Spirit, become a cause that touches and affects 
the divine nature. A moral cause in the sinful 
nature of man produces a moral effect in the 
sinless nature of God. It is in this way that 
the spirit of man operates on the Holy Spirit. 
The divine nature is sensitive to moral influ- 
ences, more so than human nature, because bet- 
ter, purer, holier. Is it possible that I may 
"grieve" the Holy Spirit? What a thought! 
Grieve him who is infinite, almighty, imma- 
nent, immaculate? Why not? Does he see 
within us the possibilities of better things? 
Does he "strive with man" to instil motives, 
incentives, tendencies and inclinations for holy 
living in his heart? Does he providentially 
work to remove difficulties and obstructions out 
of his way? Does he "stand at the door and 
knock," seeking entrance that he may "dwell" 
with him, that he may "sup" with him, that 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 311 

he may "commune" with him? Does he come 
with love, sympathetic love, and with bless- 
ings, rich spiritual blessings, divine blessings, 
and "helpful," "strengthening" blessings? 
Does he live evermore around us, and breathe 
the breath of heaven evermore upon us? Does 
he do all these things, and do them to the very 
verge of divine power, to the very verge of 
human freedom; and yet, man disregards his 
admonitions, and dislikes his importunities, and 
even "does despite to the Spirit of grace"? 
What else can the Holy Spirit do except 
"grieve"? 

4. We may blaspheme against the Holy 
Spirit. "Every sin and blasphemy shall be for- 
given unto men; but the blasphemy against the 
Spirit shall not be forgiven." (Matt. 12:31.) 
"Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy 
Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of 
an eternal sin." (Mark 3: 29.) Is there any 
thought more appalling than that of a man's 
blaspheming against the Holy Spirit? Is 
there anything more startling to man's moral 
sense of responsibility than the idea of commit- 
ting a sin that "shall not be forgiven him;" 
that "hath never forgiveness" f Is there any 
conception of sin so terrifying in its effects 
upon a man's moral consciousness as that it 
may become "an eternal sin"? What is meant 



312 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

by a sin's being eternal? As a matter of fact, 
all sins are eternal. An act once performed is 
performed forever — can never be recalled. Our 
regrets over it, our repentance of it, our apol- 
ogies for it, can never change the fact that it 
was done, that the deed was committed. But 
repentance and forgiveness remove the con- 
sequences of sin; and this, in Scripture style, is 
removing and expunging sin. "As far as the 
east is from the west, so far hath he removed 
our transgressions from us." (Ps. 103: 12.) 
"He was manifested to take away our sins." 
(1 John 3:5.) "He washed our sins away in 
his own blood." (Rev. 1:5.) "If we confess 
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us 
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
ness." (1 John 1:9.) 

To say, then, that a sin is forgiven, is to say 
that it ceases to exist; and to say that a sin is 
z^forgiven, never forgiven, is to say that it is 
eternal. There is one sin that "hath never 
forgiveness," that is "an eternal sin;" and 
that is, "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit." 
The apostle John in his first epistle, 5: 16, 
says: "If any man see his brother sinning a 
sin not unto death, he shall ask, and God will 
give him life for them that sin not unto death. 
There is a sin unto death: not concerning this 
do I say that he should make request." Why 



THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT 313 

is it that this one sin, blasphemy against the 
Holy Spirit, cannot find forgiveness? For the 
simple reason that a man cannot repent of it. 
' 'Repentance toward God, and faith in our Iyord 
Jesus Christ," always and everywhere, secures 
the favor and forgiveness of God. This con- 
clusion is vindicated by the highest moral 
reasoning, and by the plainest scriptural teach- 
ing. Let us read now a lesson on this subject 
from the divine word: "For as touching those 
who were once enlightened and tasted of the 
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of 
the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of 
God, and the powers of the age to come, and 
then fell away, it is impossible to renew them 
again to repentance." (Heb. 6:4,5.) "^ & 
impossible to renew them again to repentance" 
— there is the difficulty. But why is it im- 
possible for them to repent? For the reason 
that the cause which induces repentance has 
been exhausted. Repentance means a change 
of mind. But the mind does not change with- 
out cause. That great moral change, repen- 
tance, is wrought in the soul by the Holy 
Spirit, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
Now when that soul, deliberately and intelli- 
gently, turns away from that gospel, and repu- 
diates that holy ministry, he is lost to the only 
moral agency that can superinduce gospel 



314 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

repentance. And being morally unable to re- 
pent, God is morally unable to forgive. What 
an awful possibility there is before every soul! 
5. We may quench the Holy Spirit. 
"Quench not the Spirit." (1 Thess. 5: 19.) To 
quench is to extinguish, to put out of exis- 
tence. Water taken within quenches thirst, 
poured on fire extinguishes it. The injunction, 
"quench not the Spirit," implies the ability on 
the part of man, in some sense, to extinguish 
the Spirit. The infinite Spirit of God, I sup- 
pose, could, as a simple question of power, 
extinguish the finite spirit of man. But can 
the finite extinguish the infinite? Can the 
human spirit quench the Holy Spirit? Cer- 
tainly not in a literal sense. The human spirit 
cannot put the Holy Spirit out of existence 
absolutely. But it may put him out of exis- 
tence relatively. The human spirit may put 
itself in such a plight, may assume such a 
moral attitude, and grow into such a moral con- 
dition, as to preclude the possibility of any 
fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Men some- 
times grow out of sympathy with each other 
to such an extent as to render any sort of 
friendly intercourse between them impossible; 
all business relations and all social commerce 
cease. In this case they are extinguished to 
each other. They are mutually put out of 



THE WORD AND THE) SPIRIT 315 

existence. It is in this way that the spirit of 
man may quench the Spirit of God. We be- 
come engrossed in worldly affairs and lend 
ourselves to carnal indulgences; we grow indif- 
ferent to the nobler incentives, and the 
holier impulses of the divine Spirit; we follow 
these tendencies sometimes to such an extent 
as to become positively averse to light and 
purity, to truth and righteousness, and to all 
that is divine and good. This spiritual con- 
dition on the part of man excludes the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit as a moral consequence, 
and as a moral necessity. So far as that soul 
is concerned the Holy Spirit is quenched, ex- 
tinguished — ceases to exist. "If the light that 
is in thee be darkness, how great is that dark- 
ness." What a climax sin can make for itself! 
Beginning with insidious and imperceptible 
tendencies to "resist" the Spirit of God, it 
rises — shall we not rather say, it sinks? — sinks 
lower and lower, through gradual, but certain, 
and increasing infirmity, degeneracy, decay, 
and unto death — spiritual death — eternal sin 
and eternal death! Resist, despite, grieve, blas- 
pheme and quench the Holy Spirit! 



VII. 

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL ON THE WORD 
AND THE SPIRIT. 

John L. Waller, a distinguished Baptist 
minister and editor of the Western Recorder, 
published at Louisville, Ky., in 1851, replying 
to some things Dr. N. L. Rice of the Presby- 
terian Church had. written against Alexander 
Campbell, said: 

"Dr. Rice has suffered his zeal and his temper to betray 
him into an act of gross injustice. In charging Mr. Camp- 
bell with denying the regenerating influences of the Holy 
Spirit, and in fraternizing with Arians and L niversalists, 
etc., he has disregarded all the facts in the case. 

"Dr. Rice had a protracted debate with Mr. Campbell 
some eight years ago. That discussion furnishes no author- 
ity for the above sweeping charges. Mr. Campbell then 
most emphatically maintained the regenerating influences 
of the Hory Spirit. All candid men have decided that 
upon that subject he was, at that time, as sound and as 
orthodox as Dr. Rice, or any other man in the evangelical 

world Excepting his 'metaphysical nonsense' 

on the design of baptism, which we ascribe to his Presby- 
terian education — on all other great and fundamental 
truths of our holy religion, we unhesitatingly declare that 
we esteem Mr. Campbell as orthodox as any of this day and 
generation. We have not seen a sentiment of his respect- 
ing the design of baptism, which gave more importance to 
the ordinance than is given to it in the Westminster stand- 
(316) 



CAMPBELL ON THE) WORD AND SPIRIT 317 

ards. Indeed, he has not gone so far as do all the pedo- 
baptist formulas, whether Papal or Protestant. Mr. Camp- 
bell, in his most extravagant amplification of baptism, 
never claimed that it did more for a believer than the whole 
pedobaptist world have taught that it did for both believers 
and unconscious babes." 

The above extract will be found in the Mil- 
lennial Harbinger for January, 1852, page 45. 
It is introduced here because it shows in what 
light Mr. Campbell was viewed by one of his 
contemporaries, a very prominent and a very 
competent journalist and leader in religious 
thought among the Baptists of that day. Mr. 
Waller had come to understand better the 
teachings of Mr. Campbell, and had grown out 
of his early animosities into cordial relations, 
and a positive personal friendship with him. 
It was Mr. Waller's father who felt called upon, 
after prayerful consideration over the matter, to 
deliberately consign to the flames and burn up 
the new translation of the New Testament 
which Mr. Campbell published. The son, 
John L. Waller, had grown up with strong 
prejudices against Mr. Campbell, but having 
heard him in his debate with Mr. Rice, and 
having read after him extensively, he came 
not only to view him as a sound theologian, 
but admired him for his great abilities and his 
personal qualities as a Christian man. What 



318 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Mr. Waller calls Mr. Campbell's "metaphysical 
nonsense" about the design of baptism, was 
Mr. Campbell's distinction between "real" and 
"formal'' pardon. While with Mr. Campbell 
the sinner's "repentance toward God and 
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" put him in a 
moral state of acceptance, yet he was not in a 
legal state of acceptance until he was baptized. 
But it was this very phase of the subject that 
Mr. Campbell felt called upon to emphasize 
before the world, because he saw it was not 
justly estimated. In his estimation, the Scrip- 
tures made baptism as truly a condition of re- 
mission of sins as the blood of Christ, or as 
faith and repentance, though not in the same 
"sense." The blood of Christ was an essential 
moral prerequisite, on the divine side, in the 
mind of God; faith in that atoning Christ was 
an essential moral condition on the human side, 
in the mind of man; while baptism was the 
essential legal condition, appointed of God, and 
to be accepted of man, in order to the sinner s 
full and free forgiveness and his induction into 
ail the privileges of the kingdom of God on earth. 
Let not the reader suppose that the writer has 
forgotten the subject proposed for investigation 
in this chapter — "Alexander Campbell on the 
Word and the Spirit." When the Savior said, 
"Except a man be born of water and of the 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 319 

Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
God," he placed baptism and the Holy Spirit 
in close proximity. And the two most con- 
spicuous doctrinal points in Mr. Campbell's 
plea for a reformation were the mode of the 
Holy Spirit's operation and the design of 
baptism. These are the two capital points re- 
ferred to in the quotation from John L. Waller 
at the head of this chapter. And we shall be 
at a little pains in opening up the present dis- 
cussion to view these two topics in this rela- 
tion. 

Mr. Campbell's mind was clear on these 
points, but, as he himself frequently said, he 
was not always "equally felicitous" in express- 
ing himself. And this lack, at times, of felici- 
ty on his part became the opportunity for mis- 
understanding and misrepresentation on the 
part of others. 

Mr. Campbell clearly distinguished between 
the moral state into which the sinner is brought 
by the Holy Spirit in the conversion of the man, 
and the legal state into which he is brought by 
his obedience in baptism. And he was at great 
pains to set this forth in the beginning of his 
debate with Mr. Rice on the influence of the 
Holy Spirit. Hear him: 

4 'I therefore now most distinctly and emphatically state 
that with me, and in reference to this discussion, these 



320 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

terms (conversion, regeneration, sanctification,) severally 
and collectively indicate a moral, a spiritual and not a 
physical or legal change. A physical change has respect 
to the essence or form of the subject. A legal change is a 
change as respects a legal sentence, or enactment. Hence 
pardon, remission, justification, have respect to law. But 
a moral or spiritual change is a change of the moral state 
of the feelings, and of the soul. In contrast with a merely 
intellectual change — a change of views, it is called a 
change of the affections — a change of heart. It is in this 
acceptation of the subject of my proposition that I predicate 
of it, 'The Spirit operates only through the Word.' " 

Let us pause here now long enough to raise 
a question. Was it possible for Alexander 
Campbell to maintain, as he did, that the Holy 
Spirit works in the sinner conversion, regener- 
ation, sanctification, a change of heart, or, as 
Mr. Campbell expresses it elsewhere, "the in- 
ward baptism that changes the state," and yet 
maintain that that man is in a state of moral 
condemnation? The thing is impossible. The 
Savior says, "He that belie veth on the Son of 
God is not condemned." Why is he not 
condemned? Because, as the Savior elsewhere 
says, "He that believeth is passed from death 
unto life" — has passed from one moral state 
into another. And yet, Mr. Campbell held 
that that man was in a state of legal condemna- 
tion until he was baptized, and he rightly so 
held. A man then may be in a state of moral 
acceptance with God, and at the same time be 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 321 

in a state of legal condemnation; and this is 
precisely the status of every true believer until 
he is baptized, and precisely the status of every 
Christian man who has not been immersed. 

John L. Waller respected and fraternized 
with all sincere and godly pedobaptists, and in 
doing so, he held practically to the same 
"metaphysical nonsense" with Mr. Campbell. 
Mr. Campbell saw all this very clearly, and he 
always claimed that what he boldly avowed on 
this subject was the common doctrine of the 
Protestant world as taught by their leaders and 
in their standards. And he even charged them 
with a lack of courage and consistency in not 
being true to their own convictions and declara- 
tions on this subject. 

In 1846, Mr. Campbell published in the Mil- 
lennial Harbinger a formal statement of the 
chief points in his religious faith, which was as 
follows: 

"1. I believe all Scripture is given by inspiration of 
God, is profitable for teaching, conviction, instruction in 
righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thor- 
oughly accomplished for every good work. 

"2. I believe in one God as manifested in the Father, 
the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are therefore one in 
pQwer, nature and volition. 

"3. I believe that every human being participates in all 
the consequences of the fall of Adam, and is born into the 
world frail and depraved in all his moral powers and capa- 
21 



322 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

cities. So that without faith in Christ it is impossible for 
him, while in that state, to please God. 

"4. I believe the Word which from the beginning was 
with God, and which was God, became flesh and dwelt 
among us as Immanuel, or 'God manifest in the flesh,' and 
did make an expiation of sins by the sacrifice of himself, 
which no being could have done that was not possessed of 
superhuman, superangelic and divine nature. 

"5. I believe in the justification of sinners by faith 
without the deeds of law; and of a Christian, not by faith 
alone, but by the obedience of faith. 

"6. I believe in the operation of the Holy Spirit through 
the Word, but not without it, in conversion and sanctifica- 
tion of the sinner. 

"7. I believe in the right and duty of exercising our 
own judgment in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. 

"8. I believe in the divine institution of the evangelical 
ministry, the authority and perpetuity of baptism and the 
Lord's Supper." 

Attention is called especially to the fifth arti- 
cle in this declaration — "I believe in the justi- 
fication of sinners by faith without the deeds of 
law; and of a Christian, not by faith alone, but 
by the obedience of faith." 

The construction of this article is such as to 
preclude the possibility of any mistake as to 
Mr. Campbell's meaning, as it would seem. 
He believes in the justification of the sinner, 
"by faith without the deeds of law /" and the 
justification of the Christian, "not by faith 
alone, but by the obedience of faith." The 
expressions "by faith without the deeds of 



CAMPBELL ON THE) WORD AND SPIRIT 323 

law" and " by faith alone" are regarded by 
trie general Christian world as equivalent, as 
theological synonyms. Mr. Campbell knew 
this to be so, and he either intended to be so 
understood, or he intended purposely to mis- 
lead the public. And it is impossible for us to 
believe the latter. 

In the year 1855, Dr. S. W. I/ynd, a distin- 
guished Baptist minister, at that time, I be- 
lieve, a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, felt called 
upon to defend Mr. Campbell against a virulent 
assault made upon him in the Tennessee Baptist 
by its editor. Dr. L,ynd lays before his readers 
the foregoing declarations of faith by Mr. 
Campbell, and then writes a lengthy article in 
defense of Mr. Campbell, which was repub- 
lished in the Millennial Harbinger for Septem- 
ber, 1855. Among other things Dr. lyynd says: 

"Is there a Baptist church in the world which can show 
a more sound confession of faith? ... I am no apolo- 
gist for the errors of Mr. Campbell, or any other man, but 
I do most heartily indorse the principles stated in this con- 
fession. I feel bound, as far as possible, to explain his 
views, as published since that confession was made, by his 
fundamental principles. If he is an honest man, he will 
write nothing which he does not believe to be in con- 
formity with these principles. 

"I think it but an act of justice, and the laws of language 
demand it, that his views as published in Christian Bap- 
tism, which you quote, should be explained in the light of 
the fundamental principles which he has solemnly declared 
*<• ho'.ds. 



324 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PL-EA 

"I believe with. Mr. Campbell that faith is belief upon 
testimony. The circumstances under which it is exercised, 
embracing the views of the sinner, and his state of heart, 
constitute the difference between belief which saves, and 
belief which does not save. And that is taught in all theo- 
logical schools, though not always in the same words. 

"I have no sympathy with the doctrine that immersion 
is to be administered to procure remission of sins, and yet 
I believe that the design of this ordinance is imperfectly 
comprehended both by Baptists and by pedobaptists. Xo 
person who believes the Bible can deny that there is a con- 
nection between baptism and salvation, as there is between 
regeneration and salvation, or between faith and justifica- 
tion, or between persevering obedience and salvation. The 
question to be determined is, What is that connection? I 
believe that Mr. Campbell has not reached the truth in 
this matter, and, therefore, I do not indorse his views. But 
may not Baptists generally fall short in their views of the 
design of baptism? Is there not a point of view to which all 
of us may before long be brought, by honest and Christian- 
like discussion? I believe that we enjoy the love of God in 
our hearts the moment we believe in Christ; but that it 
may be shed abroad more fully by the Holy Spirit, and 
that the most of the spiritual blessings we enjoy may be 
consequent upon our baptism, must be admitted by all who 
hold that baptism is Hhe answer of a good conscience toward 
God.'' How can a believer fully enjoy spiritual blessings 
while this answer of a good conscience has not been had?" 

Dr. L,ynd evidently understands Mr. Camp- 
bell to hold that there is a sense in which the 
sinner is forgiven and accepted of God before 
his baptism, and yet to hold that, in some 
sense, his baptism is connected with his salva- 
tion, and he avows his own belief in the same 
doctrine, though probably not holding just the 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 325 

same view of it that Mr. Campbell did. He 
further states his conviction that all parties 
need to come to a clearer understanding of this 
subject. 

After publishing the foregoing sentiments 
with regard to Mr. Campbell and his teachings 
Dr. Iyynd was led by some things that appeared 
in our papers to conclude that he did not prob- 
ably understand Mr. Campbell as well as he 
thought; and to clear up uncertainties on this 
point he wrote a letter to Mr. Campbell for the 
purpose of calling him out more definitely. 
This letter and Mr. Campbell's reply to it were 
published in the Harbinger 'for December, 1855. 
In this letter Dr. Lynd says: 

" Our differences may certainly be discussed in a Chris- 
tian spirit. If there is no real difference, no difference 
that, in the view of either, affects cardinal doctrines, I see 
not why we should not aim to be one people. If such dif- 
ference does exist, then it ought to be fairly understood. 
. . , . An article from the Christian Intelligencer of 
June 30, you commend, in your Harbinger for August, to 
the attention of Baptist readers as worthy of their grave 
consideration. In this article the following passage oc- 
curs: 'In preaching to sinners the Baptists declare that jus- 
tification or remission of sins is enjoyed by faith alone; that 
as soon as a sinner believes in Christ his sins are par- 
doned. The disciples declare that it is not only necessary 
for a sinner to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to re- 
pent sincerely of his sins, but to be baptized, also, before 
he can enjoy the forgiveness of his sins.' 

"Under the circumstances I am compelled to conclude 



326 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

that this is the settled conviction of the disciples, and that 
it is also your own conviction. While I feel bound to ex- 
plain your language in detail by the great principles which 
you have laid down in your Articles of Faith, as long as 
it can be done, even by a liberal interpretation, I feel my- 
self unable to harmonize the above sentiment respecting 
justification with your fifth article. It reads thus: 'I be- 
lieve in the justification of a sinner by faith, without the 
deeds of law, and of a Christian not by faith alone, but by 
the obedience of faith.' 

"The words, 'by faith, without deeds of law,' I under- 
stand to mean by faith alone. I suppose this to be your 
meaning, and my construction is obviously 3-ours, accord- 
ing to the laws that govern language; for your subsequent 
expression cuts off all exception, viz.: 'and of a Christian 
not by faith alone. ' As thus interpreted I believe it with 
all my heart. Is this your view of the subject? If so there 
is no difference between us on this point. But how can I 
reconcile this with the sentiment contained in your August 
number? When you say, 'by faith, without the deeds of 
law,' do you mean that faith and baptism are connected 
together, in order to justification, regarding baptism as not 
embraced in the words, ' the deeds of law'? If so, then on 
a fundamental doctrine we are wide apart in our views. 
I believe that justification is by faith alone, and I am per- 
suaded that the Scriptures will bear me out in this posi- 
tion." 

Evidently Dr. Lynd thinks Mr. Campbell ap- 
pears inconsistent, but does not Dr. Lynd himself 
appear quite as much so? Hear him: "I have 
no sympathy with the doctrine that immersion is 
to be administered to procure remission of sins." 
"No person who believes the Bible can deny 
that there is a connection between baptism 
and salvation." ^Baptism is Hhe answer of a 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 327 

good conscience toward God. ' How can a be- 
liever fully enjoy spiritual blessings while this 
answer of a good conscience has not been had?" 
(( I do not believe that justification follows 
immersion." "I believe that justification is by 
faith alo?te." " The question to be determined 
is, What is the connection between bap- 
tism and salvation? I believe that Mr. Camp- 
bell has not reached the truth in this matter, 
and, therefore, I do not endorse his views. 
But may not Baptists generally fall short in 
their views of the design of baptism?" "I be- 
lieve that we enjoy the love of God in our hearts 
the moment we believe in Christ, but that it 
may be shed abroad more fully by the Holy 
Spirit, and that the most of the spiritual bless- 
ings we enjoy may be consequent upon our bap- 
tism must be admitted by all who hold that 
baptism is l the answer of a good conscience to- 
ward God.'' " "Is there not a point of view 
to which all of us may before long be brought 
by honest and Christian-like discussion?" 

It would be difficult to find anything more 
apparently incongruous in Mr. Campbell's 
writings than appears in the above sentences 
quoted from Dr. Lynd. And yet it is not here 
alleged that either one of these distinguished 
theologians is really out of harmony with him- 
self, or out of harmony with the Bible, when 



328 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

both are properly interpreted. Indeed, trie 
writer of these lines does not believe this to be 
the case. But of this more hereafter. 

We will now hear Mr. Campbell's reply to 
Dr. L,ynd, quoting such parts as are pertinent 
to the matters in hand: 

"Dr. S. W. Lynd: 

"Much Respected Sir: — Your favor of the 7th ult., via the 

Western Recorder, now lies before me, as I have here placed 
it before my readers. Accustomed, as I have long been, to 
the discourteous assaults of mere Baptists — special pleaders, 
in a majority of cases, for their darling doctrine of the 
mode of baptizing a believing subject — I cannot but thank 
you for your Christian, gentlemanly and scholarlike 
epistle. . . . As to our faith and practice, we are quite 
as tenacious as the Baptists. And farther, I presume we 
have quite as much scrupulosity of being thought to en- 
dorse their peculiarities, as they have, or can have, to en- 
dorse ours. . . . The point of your inquiries, my dear 
sir, seems to me not to involve any principle or doctrine of 
Christianity, but, as I understand it, has simply respect to 
any change in my views. Suppose, then, for the sake of 
illustration, I have changed in some point; and that this 
change is, in your judgment and that of others, for the 
better. . . . Is it not wise to change for the better? 
. . . It is said, with good reason, too, that wise men do 
sometimes change, but fools never change. I might, then, 
perhaps, be ashamed to say that I have not changed in one 
prominent position during my editorial career, lest I should 
be in jeopardy of the reputation of a sound and disposing 
mind and memory. That I have somewhat increased in 
knowledge, and am more confirmed in the common faith 
and doctrine of Christianity, I should be ashamed not to 
think, and probably still more ashamed not to avow it; and 
also to add that I have not, at all times, been equally 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 329 

.felicitous in expressing my views on some litigated ques- 
tions. 

"But in my views of the operations of the Holy Spirit, 
developed in my debate with Dr. Rice, or my views ex- 
pressed on that subject in a certain declaration of my faith 
and doctrine, published in the Christian System, or in my 
review of the Evangelical Alliance {Millennial Harbin- 
ger, 1846, 1847), I am not conscious of any change, only in 
enlarged convictions of the value and importance of the 
views expressed. . . . That we are begotten by the 
Holy Spirit, and therefore born of water and of the Spirit 
under one figure, is as plain as our Lord's discourse with 
Nicodemus. 

"Does birth change a man's nature, or only his state? 
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is 
born of the Spirit is spirit. Wind and water are the nat- 
ural parents of every living thing, animal and vegetable, 
upon the green earth. Wind and water are, therefore, the 
chosen symbols of regeneration in its fullest comprehen- 
sion. The Spirit first, as indicated by the breath of life, 
and the water next. Hence, unless a sinful man is quick- 
ened or made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit, water 
never can give him life. If bread and wine become sym- 
bols of spiritual blessings through the sacrifice of Christ, 
why should not wind and water be used as symbols of spir- 
itual blessings! 

"Why did the Great Teacher himself use the metaphors 
of wind and water in his discourse with a ruler of the Jews 
unless opposite types or figures of speech, indicative of the 
means or causes of that regeneration which he taught! 
The wind or word is but the embodiment of the Spirit; and 
the water is but the outward symbol of spiritual purifica- 
tion. Neither wind nor water, however used, have any 
innate power in, or of, themselves, to impart life of any 
kind — vegetable, animal or spiritual. All nature is but an 
envelop of Divine power; for it is by God 'we live, move 
and have our being,' animal or spiritual, temporal or 
eternal. 



330 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

"Baptism, by itself, is not regeneration; nor is faith, by 
itself, justification, sanctification or salvation. There is 
no isolated or insulated act of any agent, exhibited as the 
means of generation or of regeneration. Baptism, indeed, 
is by one apostle called 'the washing of regeneration,\or 
the washing of the new birth. But no educated mind 
imagines that the washing of anything is the thing itself. 
Again: no man was ever born of one parent. Hence the 
Christian is not born of water alone, nor of the Spirit 
alone; but born of water and of Spirit; and in this 
sense only politically, or with reference to an earthly state 
or kingdom. Christ's kingdom in this world is not polit- 
ical, in our use of that word; and yet the best writers in 
Christendom write of church polity, and regard the church 
as a kingdom or an organized state." 

This letter from Mr. Campbell to Dr. Lynd 
is a very remarkable production. Mr. Camp- 
bell never wrote anything that exhibited great- 
er wisdom, tact and skill. He was writing 
under a tension, a tension produced by a pecu- 
liar combination of public influences and causes, 
and the circumstances conspired to develop Air. 
Campbell's strength. He never expressed more 
truth in less space, nor expressed it with more 
vigor and acumen — truth, philosophical, theo- 
logical and scriptural. 

Attention is called to one sentence in which 
Mr. Campbell has focalized the teaching of his 
life with regard to the Holy Spirit and baptism. 

"The Christian is not born of water alone, nor of the 
Spirit alone, but born of water and of Spirit; and in this 
sense only politically, or with reference to an earthly state 
or kingdom." 



CAMPBEI.lv ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 331 

L,et the reader study that sentence in the 
light of all that Mr. Campbell ever wrote on 
the subject, and he will perceive in it a marvel- 
ous condensation of thought. Mr. Campbell 
always held that the Holy Spirit operating 
along with the truth of the gospel, by a per- 
sonal agency, quickens the sinner, and makes 
him spiritually alive; and thus brings him, of 
his own free volition, into a moral state of ac- 
ceptance and favor with God. After this he 
is baptized, which brings him into a legal 
state of acceptance. The sinner is thus "born 
of water and of the Spirit under one figure '," he 
says. Hear him further: "And in this sense 
only politically ', or with reference to an earthly 
state or kingdom." Mark that carefully. The 
Holy Spirit's work in the conversion of the sin- 
ner, in his moral regeneration puts him in the 
heavenly kingdom, while baptism, "the wash- 
ing of regeneration" puts him in the "earthly 
state or kingdom." All of which is only say- 
ing in another form what Mr. Campbell pro- 
claimed in 1823 — "Paul's sins were really 
pardoned when he believed, formally pardoned 
when he was baptized." Hence Mr. Campbell 
says: "Baptism, by itself, is not regeneration; 
nor is faith, by itself, justification, sanctification 
or salvation." That is, "Baptism, by itself," 
(without this previous work of the Holy Spirit 



332 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

in the heart,) "is not regeneration" (in its 
full sense); "nor is faith, by itself," (without 
repentance and baptism,) "justification, sanc- 
tification or salvation" (in their full sense). 
There is a moral state and a legal state, a 
moral salvation and a legal salvation. And 
if, in writing upon these different phases of the 
subject, Mr. Campbell appears at any time, or 
in any measure, inconsistent or contradictory, 
it is no more than Dr. L,ynd does; it is no more 
than John L,. Waller did; it is no more than 
Luther did; it is no more than Calvin did; it 
is no more than Wesley did; it is no more than 
all the creeds of Protestantism do; it is no 
more than all great critics and scholars do; it 
is no more than the New Testament itself 
does. The narrow, special pleader may con- 
ceive of artful and artificial methods of inter- 
pretation and exegesis that wear no such 
appearance; but men of broad minds, conscien- 
tious men who are seeking the truth in the 
love of it, have always shown this apparent 
inconsistency on this subject of remission of 
sins. But the contradictory nature of their 
writings, like that of the Bible, is only in 
appearance and not in reality. This subject 
has been discussed in previous chapters of this 
book under the head of "The Real and the 
Formal." 



CAMPBELD ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 333 

In spite of us this seeming digression from 
the more obvious point for discussion in this 
chapter has obtruded itself upon us; not, how- 
ever, it is hoped, without some compensation 
to the reader who is desirous of the truth of 
the matters considered. 

L,et us now direct our efforts to the capital 
point before us. 

THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT. 

In regard to the Word of God and the Holy 
Spirit, and their relation to each other in the 
work of salvation, there are three theories: 

1. It is taught by some that, in consequence 
of the depravity of human nature, the word of 
God is ineffectual and a "dead letter," without 
any competency to reach the understanding 
and awaken an interest in the heart, until the 
Holy Spirit has preceded it; and, without the 
word, has regenerated the soul and enabled it 
to receive and understand the revealed word. 

2. Another view is that the Holy Spirit 
originally inspired — supernaturally inspired the 
prophets and apostles to write the Bible; and 
after this revelation of truth was given the 
Holy Spirit, like Christ, ascended back to 
heaven; and that this revealed word, in the 
hands of a living ministry, is the only agency 
or means for the conversion of men. The first 



334 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

view may be called the Spirit-alone theory. 
The second view may be called the word-alone 
theory. 

3. The third theory is that, in the conver- 
sion and salvation of sinners, the Holy Spirit 
and the word of truth accompany each other 
and operate together — co-operate in the illu- 
mination, sanctification and ' salvation of men. 

The question now before us is, Which one of 
these positions did Alexander Campbell occupy? 
In this matter, as in the matter of baptism for 
remission of sins, we may say that Mr. Camp- 
bell has been soundly misunderstood, and pro- 
foundly misrepresented. Perhaps this, also, has 
been due to the fact that Mr. Campbell "has 
not always been equally felicitous in express- 
ing himself." 

Mr. Campbell's stereotyped position on this 
question, as repeated over and over again, in 
his writings, is in the following words, found in 
his debate with Rice, and also in his book on 
Baptism with its Antecedents and Consequents: 

"On the subject of spiritual influence, there are two ex- 
tremes of doctrine. There is the word-alo7ie system, and 
there is the Spirit-alone system. I believe in neither. The 
former is the parent of a cold, lifeless rationalism and for- 
mality. The latter is, in some temperaments, the cause of 
a wild, irrepressible enthusiasm; and, in other cases, of a 
dark melancholy and despondency. With some, there is 
a sort of compound system, claiming both the Spirit and 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 335 

the Word— representing the naked Spirit of God operating 
upon the naked soul of man without any argument or 
motive interposed, in some mysterious and inexplicable 
way — incubating the soul, quickening, or making it spirit- 
ually alive, by a direct and immediate contact, without the 
intervention of one moral idea or impression. But, after 
this creating act, there is the bringing to bear upon it the 
gospel revelation, called conversion. Hence, in this school 
regeneration is the cause, and conversion, at some future 
time, the result of that abstract operation. 

"There yet remains another school, which never specu- 
latively separates the Word and the Spirit, which, in every 
case of conversion, contemplates them as co-operating; or, 
w T hich is the same thing, conceives of the Spirit of God as 
clothed with the gospel motives and arguments — enlighten- 
ing, convincing, persuading sinners, and thus enabling 
them to flee from the wrath to come. In this school con- 
version and regeneration are terms indicative of a moral 
and spiritual change — of a change accomplished through 
the arguments — the light, the love, the grace of God ex- 
pressed and revealed, as well as approved by the super- 
natural attestations of the Holy Spirit. They believe, and 
teach, that it is the Spirit that quickens, and that the Word 
of God — the Living Word— is that incorruptible seed which, 
when planted in the heart, vegetates, germinates, and 
grows, and fructifies into eternal life. 

"They hold it to be unscriptural, irrational, unphilo- 
sophical, to discriminate between spiritual agency and in- 
strumentality — between what the Word, per se, and the 
Spirit, per se, severally does, as though they were two inde- 
pendent and wholly distinct powers or influences. They 
object not to the co-operation of secondary causes; of vari- 
ous instrumentalities: the ministry of men; the ministry of 
angels; the doctrine of special providences; but, however, 
whenever the Word gets into the heart — the spiritual seed 
into the moral nature of man, it as naturally, as spontan- 
eously, grows there as the sound, good corn when deposited 



336 THE SPIRITUAL, SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

in the genial earth. It has life in it, and is, therefore, 
sublimely and divinely called 'The Living and Effectual 
Word.' " 

This is a careful differentiation of the theories 
of spiritual influence as Mr. Campbell under- 
stood them. The last view presented he avows 
as his own. With that clear, comprehensive 
statement, so wisely worded, so cautiously ex- 
pressed, it would seem impossible to misunder- 
stand him. 

It is true Mr. Campbell at other times wrote 
in very strong terms emphasizing the value 
and importance of the Word of God as an es- 
sential factor in man's salvation; but it is also 
true that at other times he wrote pointedly of 
the value and importance of the Holy Spirit as 
an essential factor in this work. And it would 
be just as fair to parade his utterances on this 
latter point to prove that he was an advocate of 
the "Spirit-alone theory," as it is to parade 
his utterances on the former point to prove 
that he was an advocate of the "Word-alone 
theory." But it is wholly unfair to do either 
in the presence of his emphatic declaration — 
There is the Word-alone theory, and there is 
the Spirit-alone theory, I believe in neither." 

It is the firm belief of the present writer that 
there is an insidious self-deception practiced by 
many preachers among the Disciples, in whose 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 337 

interest this book is chiefly written, — self-de- 
ception, I mean, with regard to the proposition 
maintained by Mr. Campbell that "in conver- 
sion and sanctification the Spirit of God operates 
on persons only through the truth." Many 
persons affirm this as their faith on the subject 
of spiritual influence, when they mean to affirm 
by it the "Word-alone theory," with the ap- 
pearance of believing in the Spirit also. They 
retain the words without the meaning, the 
sound without the sense. Mr. Campbell posi- 
tively repudiated such a construction of his 
proposition as that, and the clear setting of his 
belief on this subject, presented in the forego- 
ing quotation made from him, precludes the 
possibility of such a construction. 

Let us note carefully that statement of Mr. 
Campbell. He says: "There yet remains an- 
other school which never speculatively sep- 
arates the Word and the Spirit" — he recognizes 
both as present, co-ordinate factors, and then 
adds — "which, in every case of conversion con- 
templates them as co-operating" — not only are 
they both present, but are both at work, 
co-operating" — he then explains — "or, which 
is the same thing, conceives of the Spirit 
of God as clothed with the gospel motives 
and arguments, enlightening, convincing, per- 
suading sinners, and thus enabling them to 
22 



338 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

flee from the wrath to come" — it is the 
Spirit that does this, the Spirit "clothed with 
the gospel motives;" but the Spirit is the 
present, efficient, personal agent that works the 
result, "enabling them to flee from the wrath 
to come." 

Again he says: "It is the Spirit that quick- 
ens" — then the Spirit is present with the human 
soul and positively does something — "The Liv- 
ing Word is the incorruptible seed which, when 
planted in the heart, grows and fructifies into 
eternal life" — then the Word is also present 
and does something — "They hold it to be un- 
scriptural, irrational, unphilosophic, to discrim- 
inate between spiritual agency and instrumen- 
tality" — just how the Spirit and the Word 
operate and co-operate we cannot know, and 
should not attempt to "discriminate" here — 
"What the Word per se and the Spirit per se 
severally does, as though they were two indepen- 
dent and wholly distinct powers or influences;" 
here Mr. Campbell draws the line; while he 
recognizes both as actually present in the con- 
version and salvation of men, he does not 
attempt to weigh or measure or determine the 
nature and extent of their several relative influ- 
ences. Now let us hear him in still broader 
views of this subject: "They object not to the 
co-operation of secondary causes" — the Spirit 



CAMPBELL ON THB WORD AND SPIRIT 339 

then may employ other instrumentalities besides 
the Word — "various subordinate instrumentali- 
ties; the ministry of men; the ministry of an- 
gels; the doctrine of special providences" — 
what a latitude he here gives to the Holy Spirit 
in carrying on his great work! But all this is 
regulated by the one fundamental principle, — 
it is light, thought, intelligence, motive, that con- 
verts the soul, notwithstanding the various agen- 
cies, means or instrumentalities that may be 
employed in bringing these to bear upon the 
soul — "The word has life in it; and is, there- 
fore, sublimely and divinely called, 'The Living 
and Effectual Word.' " 

To understand Mr. Campbell's deliverances 
on this subject we are to bear in mind the con- 
dition of things that confronted him in his day. 
Mr. Campbell was raised a Calvinist, and the 
battle of his life was with the people who held 
to that faith — the Presbyterians and the Bap- 
tists. Calvinism holds rigidly and severely 
to the "Spirit-alone" theory of regeneration 
and conversion. With it the Word of God is 
emphatically a "dead letter," and the human 
soul is incapable of understanding it until re- 
generated by the Holy Spirit, which is effected, 
as Mr. Campbell expresses it, "without the in- 
tervention of one moral idea or impression," or 
as he elsewhere expresses it, "by the Spirit 



340 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

alone operating by a physical power, tantamount 
to that which raised up to life again the dead 
body of the crucified Messiah." 

To combat a theory of religion like that, of 
course Mr. Campbell had to emphasize the 
value and importance of the Word of God. In 
doing this, however, it was no part of his in- 
tention to supplant the Holy Spirit with the 
Word; but only to supplement the personal 
agency of the Spirit with the instrumentality 
of the Word of truth, the gospel of Christ. 

In his debate with Mr. Rice it was Mr. 
Rice's chief effort to make it appear from Mr. 
Campbell's previous writings that Mr. Camp- 
bell was an advocate of the "Word-alone" 
theory. And to make good this contention, 
Mr. Rice, in his first speech on this subject, 
quotes from Mr. Campbell's writings such 
statements as the following: 

"Because arguments are addressed to the understanding, 
will, and affections of men, they are called moral, inas- 
much as their tendency is to form or change the habits, 
manners, or actions of men. Every spirit puts forth its 
moral power in words; that is, all the power it has over 
the views, habits, manners, or actions of men, is in the 
meaning and arrangement of its ideas expressed in words, 
or in significant signs addressed to the eye or ear. All the 
moral power of Cicero or Demosthenes was in their ora- 
tions when spoken, and in the circumstances which gave 
them meaning; and whatever power these men have exer- 
cised over Greece and Rome since their death is in their 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 341 

writings. ... As the moral power of every man is in 
his arguments, so is the moral power of the Spirit of God in 
his arguments. ... As the spirit of man puts forth all its 
moral power, in the words which it fills with its ideas, 
so the Spirit of God puts forth all its converting and sanc- 
tifiying power, in the words which it fills with its ideas." 

Now it cannot be denied that had Mr. 
Campbell never uttered anything else on this 
subject, the inference of Mr. Rice would be 
fair and legitimate. But, it must also be con- 
ceded that any particular passage in any man's 
writings can only be fairly interpreted in the 
light of all that he may have said on that sub- 
ject. It is only in this way the Bible can be 
understood, by interpreting each passage in 
the light of all other passages bearing on the 
subject in hand. 

We will now hear what Mr. Campbell has 
to say in reply to this point made by Mr. Rice. 
On page 643 he says: 

"I will make some remarks on the gentleman's use of 
my writings. I do not shrink from the discussion of any- 
thing I have ever written on this subject. Yet it would 
be more than human, more than an}' mortal man has yet 
achieved, if, in twenty years' writing, and in issuing one 
magazine of forty-eight octavo pages every month, written 
both at home and abroad, in steamboats, hotels, and in the 
houses of my private friends and brethren; I should have 
so carefully, definitely, and congruously expressed myself 
on every occasion, on these much controverted subjects, 
as to furnish no occasion to our adversaries to extract a 
sentence or a passage which, when put into their crucible 



342 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

and mixed with other ingredients, might not be made to 
appear somewhat different from itself, and myself, and 
my other writings. To seal the lips of caviling sectarians 
and captious priests is a natural impossibility. The 
Great Teacher himself could not, at least he did not, do it. 
. . . . We may not, however, always express ourselves 
with equal clearness and precision. As respects the pas- 
sages read from Christianity Restored, I will say that the 
gentleman has very greatty misrepresented me. I was ex- 
plaining what is usually called moral power in contradistinc- 
tion from physical power, or what some call spiritual power, 
as defined by some of our schoolmen. Reasons, containing 
motives, constitute the elements and materials of all moral, 
convening or sanctifying power, so far as known to man. 
God's power is omnipotent, but it is consistent with him- 
self and itself. The gospel, says Paul, is 'the power of 
God unto salvation.' Hence the moral omnipotence of 
God is in the document called the gospel. God's moral 
power is infinitely superior to ours. Yet all that power is in 
the gospel, and this is all we mean by all the converting 
power being in the Word of God. God may employ other 
means, other power, if you please, in converting men, but 
nothing finally converts them but the light and love of God 

in the gospel With Mr. Rice conversion and 

sanctification seem to be by the Spirit alone. If this be so 

in one case, it is so in all cases The doctrine 

which I oppose, so far as it is really believed and acted on, 
neutralizes preaching, annuls the Bible, and perfectly anni- 
hilates human responsibility While, then, I 

believe and teach and rejoice in the presence and power 
and positive influence of God's Spirit in the work of con- 
version and sanctification, I do repudiate a doctrine full of 
desolation — which makes man a mere machine, annihilates 
all rational libert} 7 , destroys human responsibility, and 
makes the Word of God a mere superfluity, of no essential 
importance, of no salutary instrumentality in the great 
work of regeneration." 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 343 

And now, as there is no better way of arriv- 
ing at a knowledge of a man's real position on 
any question than to place him under the fire 
of a present, living, competent opponent, we 
will here introduce the salient points made by 
these two distinguished disputants on this vital 
issue. 

Replying to Mr. Campbell, Mr. Rice says, 
page 646: 

"I was not pleased with the wording of the proposition 
now under discussion; and I agreed to debate it with the 
distinct understanding and agreement on his part that I 
would appeal to his writings in determining its true mean- 
ing." 

And on page 668, Mr. Rice says further on 
this point: 

"The main point in the debate is not whether the Spirit 
always operates through the truth. I was surprised to hear 
Mr. Campbell read the proposition in this way, i only or 
always.' I was not aware that the words only and always 
are synonymous. I presume that no dictionary can be 
found that defines only to mean always. If you will sub- 
stitute always for only, it will make a proposition radically 
different from that we are now discussing." 

And, again, on page 669, Mr. Rice further 
argues: 

"We believe and teach that the Word is ordinarily em- 
ployed in conversion and sanctification. Yet there must be, 
and there is, an influence of the Spirit on the heart, in ad- 
dition to the Word and distinct from it; and by this influ- 



344 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

ence, especially, man is converted and sanctified. This is, 
practically, the great point on which we differ." 

On page 673 Mr. Campbell says: 

"The legitimate point of discussion in this proposition 
is not whether the Word operates, but whether the instru- 
mentality of the Word be necessary, according to the terms, 
'only through the Word.' The gentleman is shifting the 
ground. I never said, nor wrote, that the Word was the 
original cause of man's salvation, nor even the efficient 
cause. I have never ranked it above the instrumental 
cause. All that has been offered by Mr. Rice upon the 
subject, in any other view of the matter, is gratuitous or 
irrelevant. It is to change the proposition and hide the 
point in his system, which I repudiate. The proposition is, 
in its own language, a refutation of all these insinuations. 
It affirms that the Spirit of God operates. The question is 
not upon operation, but upon instrumentality — 'only 
through the Word.' If Mr. Rice will make the Word the 
uniform and universal instrument, he agrees with me. 
There is then no controversy about it." 

And then in the same speech, page 678, Mr. 
Campbell says: 

"I have, indeed, no faith in conversion by the Word, 
without the Spirit; nor by the Spirit, without the Word. 
The Spirit is ever present with the Word, in conversion 
and in sanctification." 

Mr. Rice, on page 679, responds energetic- 
ally thus: 

"I do not know what Mr. Campbell means when he 
says, the Spirit is always present with the Word; nor does 
he convey any definite information concerning his views, 
when he says, men are converted and sanctified by the 



CAMPBBLL ON THK WORD AND SPIRIT 345 

Spirit and the Word. We desire to know what he means 
by these expressions. Does he mean that in addition to 
the words and arguments contained in the Scriptures, there 
is an influence of the Spirit on the heart? If so, what are 
we contending about?" 

Mr. Campbell replies, page 684: 

"I have asked Mr. Rice for a single verse, Old Testa- 
ment or New, that asserts regeneration by the Spirit alone. 
When adducing those passages of the most unambiguous 
and incontrovertible import, affirming regeneration through 
the instrumentality of the Word of God, I have not suc- 
ceeded either in getting such a text, or in obtaining a re- 
sponse to those which I have presented." 

On page 689 Mr. Rice makes this answer: 

"My friend calls on me to prove by the Scriptures that 
the Spirit ever operates in conversion and sanctification, 
without the truth. He affirms, and has undertaken to 
prove, that the Spirit operates only through the truth. 
Has he produced a solitary passage that sustains his pro- 
position? He has not, and he will not; for there is none 
such in the Bible." 

Mr. Campbell replies, page 695: 

"That the Spirit operates, is agreed on both sides. Mr. 
Rice admits that the Spirit sometimes operates through the 
Word. That is not the point to be proved. What, then, 
must I again ask, is the proposition? Is it not that, 'In 
conversion and sanctification the Spirit of God operates 
only through the Word'? He has proved that it operates 
through the Word. This I affirm. Has he come over? 
Does he mean to use the Scriptures that prove his opera- 
tions through the Word, to prove his operation without the 
Word! ! You will all understand that a passage of Scrip- 



346 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

ture that proves the Holy Spirit operates through the Word, 
does not prove that he operates without the Word or inde- 
pendent of it." 

And on page 701 he further says: 

"I do, sir, most sincerely regard the Holy Spirit as the 
author of every spiritual and noble desire in the human 
heart; the author of every pious affection, of every holy 
aspiration of our souls. His mysterious but certain power 
is in and with the gospel, and he makes it the power of 
God to salvation to every one that believes it. He sancti- 
fies us through the truth. He works in us to will and to do 
of his good pleasure." 

And now on page 716, Mr. Rice asks some 
questions: 

"Does Mr. Campbell hold to an influence of the Spirit 
in conversion, distinct from the Word? As my friend is 
fond of asking questions, I wish to ask him, What kind of 
influence does the Spirit exert on the minds of immersed 
believers?" 

And then on page 717, Mr. Rice says: 

"The gentleman asks, What can the Spirit do, after all 
his arguments have been put forth? Will he inform us how 
the devil tempts men to sin? He acknowledges that the 
devil has access to the minds of men, and exerts a moral 
influence, not by words and arguments addressed to the eye 
or ear; yet he cannot tell how that influence is exerted. If, 
then, we do not know how good or evil spirits can exert 
an influence on our minds, is it not presumptuous in any 
man to assert that the Holy Spirit cannot exert a moral or 
spiritual influence except by the words and arguments ad- 
dressed to the eye or ear? Shall we venture to say that 
the devil has more power over the human mind than 
God?" 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 347 

Mr. Campbell makes some very incisive 
statements. He says, "The point of discus- 
sion is not whether the Word operates. ' ' Again 
he says, "The proposition affirms that the 
Spirit of God operates. The question is not 
upon operation but upon instntmentality '." 
The parties in this discussion both agree that 
"sometimes" the Spirit operates through the 
Word. The point of difference is, does the 
Spirit "always" operate through the Word. 
Mr. Campbell's position is that, in conver- 
sion and sanctification, he always operates 
on the human mind in connection with truth, 
with light, with thought, with intelligence, 
with knowledge, with motive, with love. He 
says, "If Mr. Rice will make the Word the 
uniform and universal instrument, he agrees 
with me. There is then no controversy about 
it." He says again, " I have, indeed, no 
faith in conversion by the Spirit without the 
Word, nor by the Word without the Holy 
Spirit." This settles the "Word-alone" doc- 
trine so far as Mr. Campbell is concerned. He 
repudiates it 

But Mr. Rice cannot understand Mr. Camp- 
bell and asks, "Does he mean that in addition 
to the words and arguments, there is an influ- 
ence of the Spirit on the heart? If so, what 
are we contending about?" It is plain enough 



348 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

what they are contending about. It is this, 
whether in conversion and sanctification, the 
Spirit of God ever operates without the pres- 
ence of the Word of Truth. This Mr. Rice 
affirms. This Mr. Campbell denies. They 
now come to close quarters. Mr. Campbell 
calls on Mr. Rice to produce a single passage of 
Scripture that "asserts regeneration by the 
Spirit alone." In turn Mr. Rice calls on Mr. 
Campbell to produce a single passage that 
asserts that "the Spirit operates only through 
the truth." And the gentlemen are both tied 
up, neither can do it. There is this difference, 
however. Logically, it is Mr. Rice's duty to 
give the passage asserting that the Spirit oper- 
ates in regeneration without the truth, since 
this is what he really affirms and what Mr. 
Campbell really denies. 

Mr. Rice makes the point that he and Mr. 
Campbell agree that Satan, the great tempter, 
can and does approach the mind of man 
directly, without the intervention of words or 
arguments; and then certainly the Spirit of 
God can do so. But the question is not 
whether the Spirit can do so; but whether, 
according to the Scriptures, the Spirit of God 
does, in "conversion and sanctification," oper- 
ate on the human mind, except in connection 



CAMPBELD ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 349 

with the Word of Truth. This, and this only, 
is Mr. Campbell's contention. 

On page 722, Mr. Campbell says. 

"I said in the commencement of this discussion, that I 
did not affirm nor deny as to any other operations of the 
Spirit, save in conversion and sanctification. What he 
may do in the way of suggestions or impressions, by direct 
communication of original ideas, or in bringing things to 
remembrance long since forgotten, I presume not to dis- 
cuss. I believe he has exerted, and can exert, such influ- 
ences. Nor do I say what influence he may exert, or cause 
to be exerted, in bringing men's minds to consider these 
matters; but I confine my reasonings and proofs to conver- 
sion and sanctification." 

Also on page 708, Mr. Campbell says on this 
point: 

"There is no debate upon spiritual operations. They are 
of an abstract nature and quality. It is not possible for a 
man to conceive of spiritual operations. The fact of the 
operation is as evident as gravity, but who can explain it? 
No man can form a single conception of any spiritual influ- 
ence or operation. Who can grasp the idea of a spirit? 
Who can apprehend its nature, its identity, its form, its 
person, or its modes of living, moving and operating? That 
the Spirit of God operates on the human understanding 
and heart is just as certain as that man has an understand- 
ing and affections. Our spirit is allied to the spiritual sys- 
tem, to the Great Spirit. God can commune, and does 
commune, with man, and man with God." 

And then on page 719, Mr. Campbell says: 

"I will answer his interrogations when they are more 
definitely set forth. Let him explain his distinct power. I 



350 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

cannot comprehend his theory of an abstract power. If he 
says superadded power, I wish to know of what character 
it is: physical or moral? I can readily conceive of various 
means being employed to secure the attention of persons 
to impress the subject on the mind, and of means used 
providentially to remove obstructions; but to talk of super- 
added power, of a distinct power, without any definition of 
the nature and character of it, seems not, in the least, to 
enlighten us. If I see a man take an axe and fell a tree, I 
call the axe the instrument, and I say, whatever power he 
puts forth in felling the tree is put forth through the axe. ' ' 

Then on page 725, Mr. Rice says: 

"I was very much gratified to hear the illustration of the 
work of the Spirit introduced by the gentleman. It is this: 
An individual takes an axe and cuts down a tree. All the 
power he exerts is through the axe. Now I wish to know 
whether the man does not, at the time he is cutting the 
tree, put forth power? Is this not the fact? Then if the 
illustration be appropriate, it follows, at the time when a 
man is converted, the Spirit of God must put forth power 
in some form — by some direct act; and this is precisely 
what my friend denies ... I think I can give a much 
more correct and striking illustration of his doctrine. A 
certain man made and tempered the axe, the axe cut the 
tree, and therefore the maker of the axe might be said to 
have cut the tree! . . . The man who employs the axe as 
the instrument must, at the time, put forth power, or the 
instrument can accomplish absolutely nothing. Now the 
question before us is, whether conversion is affected by the 
truth alone, or whether the Spirit puts forth its power in 
addition to the influence of the Word. The gentleman's 
illustration proves our doctrine conclusively." 

On page 729, Mr. Rice further argues: 

"I will now offer some additional arguments against the 
doctrine taught by Mr. Campbell. This doctrine makes it 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 351 

hoth useless and improper to pray for the conversion of 
men. I know he will not deny that it is both the duty and 
privilege of Christians to pray that God would convert sin- 
ners, for we have both precept and example authorizing 
and requiring it. . . . If, then, no special divine influ- 
ence is promised, or can be exerted to cause men to repent 
and believe, why should we pray for it? And how can we 
pray in faith?" 

Mr. Campbell here avows Ms faith in "spir- 
itual operations." "The fact of the operation 
is as evident as gravity," he says. That the 
Holy Spirit may aid the Word by "direct com- 
munication of original ideas, or in bringing 
things to remembrance," and thus "influence 
men's minds to consider" the Word of Truth, 
he believes. But he holds that it is finally 
the truth, seen and apprehended, that converts. 
He says, "I presume not to discuss what the 
Spirit may do in the way of suggestions or im- 
pressions, by direct communication of original 
ideas, or in bringing things to remembrance 
long since forgotten. I believe he has exerted, 
and can exert, such influences." 

While avowing his belief in all these things, 
lie declined to speculate on them, because he 
does not understand the subject. He says, 
"No man can form a single conception of any 
spiritual influence or operation." Hence Mr. 
Campbell confines his reasonings and proofs to 
the proposition, holding that in conversion and 



352 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

sanctification the Spirit always works along 
with the truth, never without it. And, when 
Mr. Rice contends for a "distinct power, or a 
superadded power," Mr. Campbell does not 
deny it, but calls on Mr. Rice to "explain" his 
"distinct power;" and then Mr. Campbell 
promises to affirm or deny his belief in just 
what Mr. Rice holds to. Mr. Campbell illus- 
trates his view of this subject by a man using 
an axe to fell a tree, the man representing the 
Holy Spirit, the axe the Word, and the tree 
the sinner. 

Mr. Rice likes the illustration, but insists it 
does not represent Mr. Campbell's teaching, 
and he amends the illustration according to his 
understanding of Mr. Campbell, as follows: "A 
man made the axe, the axe cut the tree, and 
therefore the man who made the axe cut the 
tree!" That Mr. Rice understood Mr. Camp- 
bell to hold this view is certain, and that some 
preachers in our own ranks to-day so under- 
stand Mr. Campbell is certain; but it is just as 
certain that Mr. Campbell denies holding any 
such view. On this point he believes with Mr. 
Rice that the Spirit puts forth power in addi- 
tion to the Word; but he does not believe with 
Mr. Rice that the Spirit converts without the 
Word, or that the man cuts down the tree with- 
out the axe. 



CAMPBELL , ON THF WORD AND SPIRIT 353 

The subject of prayer, as bearing on this, 
will be noticed later on. 

On page 731 Mr. Campbell says: 

"I repeat once more, that whenever the gentleman de- 
scribes his metaphysical power, superadded to the Word, I 
will affirm or deny in the most definite manner. I believe 
in a substantive influence of the Spirit of God through the 
truth upon the conscience, the understanding and the 
affections. He appears to approve of the figure of the 
wood-chopper and his axe. But in his remarks he seems 
to have forgotten that on his theory the wood-chopper has 
to cut the tree down without the axe, or, if he used the axe 
in any case at all, he must superadd some power without 
the axe, beyond the axe,' and wholly extra its instrumen- 
tality! ! Figures are not to be used for any other purpose 
than they are proposed. I do not make this one represent 
the Word of God in any other particular than its instru- 
mentality Fellow citizens, from all the pre- 
mises before my mind, I conclude that the Spirit of Truth 
— that omnipresent, animating Spirit of our God — whose 
sword or instrument this book is — is always present in the 
work of conversion, and through this truth changes the 
sinner's affections and draws out his soul to God. It is, 
therefore, doing us an act of the greatest injustice to repre- 
sent us as comparing the Bible to the writings of any dead 
or absent man in this point of comparison. In some 
points of view all books are alike; but in other points of 
view they are exceedingly dissimilar. In comparison of 
all other books, the Bible is superlatively a book sui 
generis. Its Author not only ever lives, but is ever present 
in it and with it, operating through it, by it and with it, 
upon saints and sinners. . . . Great injustice is done 
me by Mr. Rice in sometimes changing the position of only 
in the proposition. I do not maintain that a person is 
converted by the Word only. I say that 'in conversion 
and sanctification the Spirit operates only through the 
23 



354 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Word;' not that a person is converted by the Word only. 
The latter excludes the Spirit altogether, which is directly 
in contradiction of the ground assumed in my opening 
speech. We are only converted through the Word; only 
we are converted through the Word, and we are converted 
only through the Word, are three very different proposi- 
tions." 

On page 737 Mr. Rice says: 

"The gentleman has failed to make any answer what- 
ever to my argument against his doctrine that it makes 
prayer, especially for unbelievers, unnecessary and im- 
proper. Does he deny it, or attempt to prove that the ob- 
jection is not valid? Not a word of it. He makes no 
attempt to prove that his doctrine is at all consistent with 

prayer He tells us the Spirit of God is always 

present with his Word. I have asked, and now ask again, 
what does. he mean by this language? .... Perhaps 
I can explain in what sense he supposes the Spirit to be 
present and to operate with the Word. As Mr. Campbell's 
spirit is present with the ideas he has published in his 
Harbinger, operating on the minds of his readers, so in 
the same sense the Spirit of God is present with the 
Scriptures. I use his own illustration. Such being his 
meaning, does he believe in any other agency in conver- 
sion and sanctification than that of the Word dictated and 
confirmed by the Holy Spirit? .... How the Spirit 
operates on the heart in conversion and sanctification, I 
profess not to understand. And since Mr. Campbell can- 
not tell how Satan exerts an influence on the human 
mind, I am certainly not bound to explain how the Spirit 
operates in conversion. Indeed, we cannot explain the 
how of many facts in nature. No wonder, then, if the 
agency of the Spirit is mysterious." 

Then on page 739 he says: 

"The gentleman makes a criticism on the difference be- 
tween the phrases, through the Word only, and only 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 355 

through the Word. I am not concerned to answer it. I 
was not pleased, as he knows, with the proposition as it is 
worded, because I believed it left room for quibbling, and I 
would not have consented to debate it but with the dis- 
tinct and express understanding that I should interpret it 
by his publications on the subject. I have proved that in 
his Christianity Restored he says there are only two kinds 
of power, moral and physical, and that only moral power 
can operate on the human mind, and that all moral power 
is in words and arguments." 

When through with these quotations we 
shall certainly not fail to understand Mr. Camp- 
bell. He again calls on Mr. Rice to describe 
the power of the Holy Spirit for which he con- 
tends, and promises to affirm or deny definitely 
in regard to it when he hears Mr. Rice's de- 
scription. Mr. Campbell himself believes in 
such a power, but contends that it is always 
exercised in connection with an intelligent un- 
derstanding of the Word of Truth. He unhesi- 
tatingly declares his belief "in a substantive in- 
fluence of the Spirit of God through the truth 
upon the conscience, the understanding and 
the affections." He then twits Mr. Rice over 
his theory of the wood-chopper cutting down a 
tree without the axe — the Spirit converting 
without the truth of the gospel. And he says, 
again, that Mr. Rice does him the greatest in- 
justice in representing him as comparing the 
Bible with its gospel message u to the writings 
of any dead or absent man," and affirms that 



356 THE SPIRITUAL SIDK OF OUR PLEA 

the " omnipresent, animating Spirit of our God 
is always present in the work of conversion. " 
Finally, as if to cut off all cavil or doubt as to 
his position, he says, "I do not maintain that a 
person is converted by the Word only." 

But Mr. Rice is persistent. He insists that 
Mr. Campbell does not really believe in any 
influence of the Holy Spirit other than that 
which the revealed Word alone and of itself 
exerts upon the mind. And he calls on Mr. 
Campbell to explain what he means by the 
Spirit being "always present with the Word." 
Mr. Rice then makes an important and signifi- 
cant statement in connection with this subject. 
It is this: "How the Spirit operates on the heart 
in conversion and sanctification, I profess not 
to understand." Now Mr. Campbell said in a 
preceding speech, "No man can form a single 
conception of any spiritual influence or opera- 
tion." We have these gentlemen both tied up 
again. Bach calls on the other to explain what 
each admits to be inexplicable and myste- 
rious. Both admit the operation, both declare 
it to be mysterious, and yet each twits the other 
because he will not undertake to "explain." 
The fact is, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Rice do not 
differ about the "Word-alone," but only differ 
about the "Spirit-alone," and this is the ques- 
tion they ought to have debated. 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 357 

There can be no doubt that Mr. Rice hon- 
estly believed that Mr. Campbell held to the 
"Word-alone" doctrine, and so thought from 
what Mr. Campbell had written on the subject. 
But there can be no doubt that Mr. Campbell 
repudiated the doctrine. Mr. Campbell will 
answer Mr. Rice on prayer in his next speech. 

On page 756 Mr. Campbell, in his closing 
speech, referring to what Mr. Rice had pre- 
viously said, that according to Mr. Campbell's 
teaching on the subject of spiritual operations, 
there could be no use or propriety in our pray- 
ing for the conversion of sinners, says: 

"The best philosophy of prayer is that God has granted 
the privilege, enjoined the duty and given the promise. 
We, therefore, violate no decree, and sin against no rev- 
elation in praying for all. I believe, practice and preach 
the necessity and propriety of praying for the salvation of 
our children, families, friends, etc., as much as I believe, 
preach or practice any point of domestic and social duties 
and privileges. . . . Mr. Rice says there is a certain 
power displayed in conversion; and so say I. And does it 
not come with as good a grace from me as from him? But 
he says he goes for a power beyond the naked Word, and 
that, too, an accompanying power. Well, the word accom- 
panying explains not the nature of that power, and for 
that I have asked more than once, but I have asked in 
vain. He can neither expound what the 'accompanying 
power' is, or can be, nor how it operates; and, therefore, 
whether or not we agree I could not say. I believe the 
Spirit accompanies the Word, is always present with the 
Word, and actually and personally works through it upon 
the moral nature of man, but not without it. I presume 



358 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

not to speculate upon the nature of this power, nor the 
mode of operation. I believe the Holy Spirit sheds abroad 
in our hearts the love of God, and dwells in all the faith- 
ful; that it sanctifies them through the truth; that it works 
in them to will and do, and that it comforts them in all 
their afflictions. But the Spirit of God does not thus enter 
into the wicked." 

Again on page 747 he sa3's: 

"It is, then, so far as the New Testament deposeth, idle 
and worse than idle to talk about sanctification or conver- 
sion without the Word and Spirit of God. They are 
always united in the great work. No one is converted by 
the Word alone, nor by the Spirit alone." 

Finally, on page 751 Mr Campbell says: 

"In conclusion, then, I must say that we have been much 

reproached and slandered on this theme The 

man who represents me as opposed to a spiritual religion 
and to the operations, converting and sanctifying, of the 

Holy Spirit, does me the highest injustice I 

have been long endeavoring to draw the proper lines be- 
tween a wild enthusiasm and the true Spirit of our God — 
between what is spiritual and animal in some of the pres- 
ent forms of Christianity — and to save my contemporaries 
from a religion of blind impulses, animal excitements and 
new revelations, by which I most sincerely believe vast 
multitudes are deluded to everlasting ruin." 

On page 752 Mr. Rice in his closing speech 
says: 

"One of my most conclusive arguments against Mr. 
Campbell's doctrine is that it makes prayer for the uncon- 
verted, as well as for the sanctification of believers, both 
unavailing and improper. ... I repeat the argument. 
If his doctrine be true there is absolutely no propriety in 



CAMPBKI.lv ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 359 

praying. Why should we and how can we pray for bless- 
ings which we verily believe God will never grant? He 
says he prays for the conversion of sinners. When he 
enters the pulpit he stands before the congregation and 
prays that God will convert the unbelieving portion of it; 
and then he opens his Bible and tells them that God will 
not convert them — that the Spirit has dictated and con- 
firmed the Word, and they must be converted and sancti- 
fied by it or be lost!!! If his doctrine be true, what are his 
prayers worth?" 

Finally, on page 753-4 he says: 

"Naked Spirit, Mr. Campbell asserts, never operates on 
naked spirit. This is mere assumption. How can the gen- 
tleman prove it true? Does he know how one spirit influ- 
ences another? Can he inform us how Satan can tempt 
men? But he says he does not pretend to know how the 
Spirit operates. He has tried to tell us both how he can 
and how he cannot operate. I will not misrepresent him. 
Let me read from his Christianity Restored: 'As the spirit 
of man puts forth all its moral power in the words which 
it fills with its ideas, so the Spirit of God puts forth all its 
converting and sanctifying power in the words which it 
fills with its ideas. ... If the Old and New Testaments 
contain all the arguments which can be offered to reconcile 
man to God, and to purify them who are reconciled, then 
all the power of the Holy Spirit which can operate upon 
the human mind is spent, and he that is not sanctified 
by these cannot be saved by angels or spirits, human or 
divine.' 

"The gentleman could not have employed language 
more clear or definite. He puts the Holy Spirit, in regaid 
to conversion and sanctification, on a perfect equality with 
man, except so far as he may present more powerful mo- 
tives than man. In the most definite terms he denies any 
other influence of the Spirit, other than that of his words 
and arguments. I hold that the Word is ordinarily used, 



360 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

but not always; and that when it is used there is also an in- 
fluence of the Spirit distinct from it, renewing the heart 
and inclining the sinner to receive the truth in the love 
of it." 

In two speeches previous to this Mr. Rice 
insisted that Mr. Campbell's theory of conver- 
sion, which Mr. Rice persistently represents as 
the * 'Word-alone" theory, excluding all divine 
agency, made prayer for the conversion of sin- 
ners useless and improper. Mr. Campbell's 
answer to this point is like his position on the 
operations of the Holy Spirit. He does not 
claim to understand the philosophy of either, 
but believes in both and practices accordingly. 

If any person who reads these lines fails to 
understand Mr. Campbell's position on the Holy 
Spirit, it will not be Mr. Campbell's fault, nor 
will it be the fault of the writer. Mr. Rice 
avows his belief in an "accompanying power" 
of the Spirit with the Word. Mr. Campbell 
avows his belief also in an "accompanying 
power." Here they are agreed. But each 
wants the other to explain his idea of this 
"accompanying power," to see whether they 
are agreed in their philosophy of it, and neither 
can explain; both confess their inability to un- 
derstand the mode of the Spirit's operations. 
I wish now to call attention to a statement of 
Mr. Campbell that is a complete embodiment of 



CAMPBELL ON THE WORD AND SPIRIT 361 

his views and teachings upon this whole ques- 
tion, I will italicize and capitalize it. It is 
this: "I believe the Spirit accompanies the 
Word, is ALWAYS present with the Word and 
ACTUALLY and personally works through it 
upon the inoral nature of man, but not WITHOUT 
it. I presume not to SPECULATE upon the 
NATURE of this power, nor the mode of opera- 
tion." 

In conclusion, attention is called to the fact 
that Mr. Campbell held and taught that in the 
conversion of sinners, as well as in the sancti- 
flcation of Christians, the Holy Spirit is always 
present and assisting in the work. He says: 
"I do not maintain that a person is converted 
by the Word only. I say that, in conversion 
and sanctification, the Spirit operates only 
through the Word, not that a person is converted 
by the Word only. The latter excludes the 
Spirit altogether, which is directly in contra- 
diction of the ground assumed in my opening 
speech." Let this fact be carefully noted. Mr. 
Campbell teaches this, over and over, in various 
forms, throughout his speeches and writings. 
He ever held, however, that the Scriptures 
plainly teach that there is a difference in the 
relation which the Holy Spirit sustains to the 
sinner and to the Christian; that the kind of 
aid the Spirit gives is not the same in both 



362 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

cases. The sinner he aids from without by 
"providential acts," "removing obstructions, " 
"making suggestions," "quickening the mem- 
ory of things forgotten," etc., that the Word 
of Truth may find opportunity to throw in its 
light and converting power; while he dwells in 
the Christian and strengthens him in the inner 
man, and sheds abroad the love of God in his 
heart. 

We have thus been at great pains to present 
Alexander Campbell to the world in the true 
light of his own teachings. To some minds 
this will appear to have been done even to re- 
dundancy, but we are writing for the people, 
and it is necessary to be elaborate, even to the 
appearance of being superfluous, that there 
may be no grounds for misapprehension as to 
Mr. Campbell's position on this vital and fun- 
damental doctrine of our holy religion. 



VIII. 

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND UW. 

There is probably no word in trie Bible 
more conspicuous, or more important, or more 
conspicuously important than trie word right- 
eousness. Righteousness in religion, like jus- 
tice in law, is a fundamental idea. Human 
government is formed around the conception of 
justice. In all their diversities and ramifica- 
tions, seeking to adjust themselves to the con- 
ditions and the wants of men, human laws, 
whether constitutional or statutory, evince 
evermore the one great purpose of attaining 
the ends of justice among the people. So the 
chief end of all divine government, of all divine 
legislation, is the attainment of righteous- 
ness in rrien and among men. As applied to 
persons the term righteousness is indicative 
of a moral state and of moral character. A 
righteous man and an unrighteous man are not 
in the same moral state, nor of the same moral 
character. In these respects they are radically 
different. And yet, men's ideas of righteous- 
ness differ, and in some instances are very 
superficial, falling far short of the scriptural 

conception of this subject. These differences 
(363) 



364 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

call for some such classification as the follow- 
ing: 

i. The righteousness of custom. 

2. The righteousness of law. 

3. The righteousness of good intention. 

4. The righteousness of Christ imputed. 

5. The righteousness of faith. 

Let us consider each of these briefly in the 
order named. 

1. The righteousness of custom. 

A repetition of the same act or the same 
course of life forms a custom and creates a ten- 
dency in that direction, both with individuals 
and with society. What is customary? This 
with some people is the supreme question. 
The authority of custom is final with many. 
In matters of mere expediency or casuistry a 
deference for custom may be regarded as wise 
and legitimate, but where moral and religious 
principles are involved the conscientious man 
appeals to a higher court than the customs of 
society. And there is perhaps no better test of 
genuine Christian manhood than the ability to 
disregard and ignore the customs that have 
been formed and have grown into a sort of un- 
written law in a vitiated social community. 
The tendency to run in grooves, to be in the 
fashion, to be like other people, is a most dan- 
gerous and besetting influence. It was to lift 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND UW 365 

the world above this paltry notion of things 
that God placed before men the life of Christ. 
In the Sermon on the Mount we have a remark- 
able example of the courage which defies popu- 
lar sentiment that had crystallized into custom. 
From beginning to end it is an earnest protest 
against the idea of mere routine living, of mere 
popularized duty, and an earnest effort to clear 
away the accumulated rubbish of customs that 
he might purge the conscience and establish a 
nobler standard of righteousness. To this end 
the Savior repeated, over and over again: " Ye 
have heard that it was said. ' ' And then rising 
above all traditions he adds, in an authoritative 
way: "But I say unto you ." With this intro- 
duction his hearers are led into profounder 
views of thinking, of feeling and of living. 

"Except your righteousness shall exceed the 
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye 
shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of 
heaven." What a bold, revolutionary declara- 
tion! "There came to Jesus from Jerusalem 
Pharisees and scribes, saying, Why do thy dis- 
ciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for 
they wash not their hands when they eat 
bread. And he answered and said unto them, 
Why do ye also transgress the commandment of 
God because of your tradition ? ' ' And the world 
is full enough of just such people to-day — people 



366 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

who never look beneath the surface of things 
to determine their character by the sound prin- 
ciples of morality or religion; but who follow 
custom and tradition, even to the extent of vio- 
lating the most fundamental laws of righteous 
living. One example here will be enough to 
fix the lesson in the mind of the reader, and to 
suggest many others of the same sort. 

"And there came unto him Pharisees, trying 
him and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put 
away his wife for every cause? And he an- 
swered and said, Have ye not read that he who 
made them from the beginning made them 
male and female and said, For this cause shall 
a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave 
to his wife, and the twain shall become one 
flesh? So that they are no more twain, but 
one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined 
together, let not man put asunder. They say 
unto him, Why, then, did Moses command to 
give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away? 
He saith linto them, Moses for your hardness of 
heart suffered you to put away your wives, but 
from the beginning it hath not been so. And I 
say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his 
wife, except for fornication, and shall marry 
another, committeth adultery; and he that mar- 
rieth her when she is put away committeth 
adultery." (Matt. 19:3-9.) 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DAW 367 

Commenting on this divine law of marriage, 
the Apostle Paul, in i Cor. 7:10, says: "But 
unto the married I give charge, yea, not I, but 
the Lord, that the wife depart not from her 
husband (but and if she depart, let her remain 
unmarried or else be reconciled to her hus- 
band); and that the husband leave not his 
wife." There could be nothing plainer or 
more emphatic written on the subject. And 
yet, how many members of the church to-day 
are living in open violation of this divine law! 
And how many church officials wink at it; and 
how many preachers make themselves particeps 
criminis by solemnizing the rites of marriage 
in such cases — all condoned because the law of 
the state and the custom of a vitiated society 
tolerate it — true Christian manhood sacrificed 
on the altar of custom, a custom, too, directly 
in contravention of divine authority concerning 
the most sacred and important institution per- 
taining to man's social nature and life! 

The difficulty with which men abandon an 
old custom, simply because it is a custom, and 
the facility with which they adopt a new cus- 
tom, simply because it is a custom of oth- 
ers strikingly illustrate the force and author- 
ity with which this form of righteousness 
asserts itself over our lives. Any change pro- 
posed in the established forms of the worship, 



368 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

or of the transaction of business, or the govern- 
ment of our churches, is usually met with a 
protest: "It is contrary to our custom," which 
is considered by many as a most potent argu- 
ment against it. Whether the new method 
proposed is more efficient, more competent and 
consequently better, is wholly lost sight of in 
the clamor of righteous indignation at the bare 
thought of surrendering ii the custom of this 
church;" and we might add, the imaginary 
"righteousness" therein. First-class church 
rows, alienation of old friends, resignation of 
pastors, etc., are some of the fragrant fruits 
that grow on this tree of "righteousness." 
And especially if the custom obtained "in Jeru- 
salem," or among "the apostles" and "primi- 
tive disciples," although without divine ap- 
pointment, is it held to tenaciously by tradi- 
tionalists and made the battle ground for the 
adventurous, progressive iconoclast. Hence, 
the J>ros and cons of "feet washing," the "holy 
kiss," the "silence of women in the church," 
polygamy, slavery, etc. 

There must be something more in favor of 
any custom than the mere fact that "it is our 
custom," or "it was the custom of the primi- 
tive Christians" before it can be held as author- 
itative or necessary in personal or congrega- 
tional faith and life. And there must be some- 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 369 

thing more against any proposed practice than 
the mere fact that "it is not our custom," or 
"it was not the custom of the primitive disci- 
ples" before it can be held as unauthorized or 
unnecessary in personal or congregational faith 
or life. The customs of one people or one age 
do not always suit another people or another 
age, and cannot, therefore, conduce to their 
spiritual welfare. And that Christian liberty 
provided for in the great general principles of 
the New Testament, authorizes and even makes 
necessary, in some cases, the discarding of old 
customs and the adoption of new. 

On the other hand, how easily and gracefully 
professing Christians sometimes yield to the 
seductive influences abroad in fashionable so- 
ciety and fall in with the pernicious, irreligious 
customs of their day and generation; as, for 
example, those of dancing, card-playing, horse- 
racing, etc. Not perhaps at first positively 
committing adultery with the lewd dance, card 
gambling and horse-betting; but only coy with 
their younger sisters, the "parlor dance" at 
the elder's home, the "social game of high 
five" or "progressive euchre" at the deacon's 
house, and the "speed ring" at the county fair; 
while the weakling preacher shuts one eye that 
he may not see it, and winks encouragement 

with the other. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, 
24 



370 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

know ye not that the friendship of the world is 
enmity with God? Whosoever, therefore, will 
be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." 
(James 4:4.) 

2. The righteousness of law. 

That form of religion that finds its highest 
attainment and its highest enjoyment in "keep- 
ing the commandments" was not wholly ex- 
terminated with the Pharisees. It is to be 
admitted, f however, that the righteousness 
sought in obeying law is of a higher order than 
that found in the observance of custom, inas- 
much as the former seeks to measure self by 
something appointed of God, while the latter 
measures self by something appointed by man. 
The self-deception, however, in each case is 
very similar in nature. It consists in an out- 
ward and mechanical conformity to an outward 
and mechanical standard, instead of an inward, 
spiritual conformity to an inward, spiritual 
standard. "Let this mind be in you, which 
was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:5.) "Be- 
holding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, 
we are transformed into the same image from 
glory to glory, even as from the Lord the 
Spirit." (2 Cor. 3: 18.) "The letter killeth, 
the spirit giveth life." (2 Cor. 3:6.) 

The Savior was always probing after the 
heart. He was ever seeking to break through 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DAW 371 

the crust of legalism that the "hidden man of 
the heart" might find opportunity for develop- 
ment. That was a memorable interview which 
the Savior had with that "rich young man" in 
Matthew 19:16. "Master, what good thing 
shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" A 
proposition to buy his way into heaven by 
doing something "good" rather than by being 
good. Let us point a moral here by quoting 
the Savior in another case: "Ye fools and 
blind; for whether is greater, the gold or the 
temple that sanctifieth the gold?" "Whether 
is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth 
the gift?" And may we not add, whether is 
greater, the doing or the moral condition of the 
heart that sanctifieth the doing? 

But the Master understood his man, and he 
gave him full scope to expose himself. Hear 
his reply: "If thou wouldest enter into life, 
keep the commandments." 

The young man now finds the opportunity of 
his life to exploit his legalistic attainments. 
After the Savior had recited to him the deca- 
logue for his observance, even that command, 
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," the 
young legalist replies: "All these things have 
I observed; what lack I yet?" Now is the 
Savior's opportunity. And what did he lack? 
He lacked the moral qualities of righteousness 



372 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

— that inward condition of soul that is essential 
to all acceptable service. And that this young 
man might see the barrenness of his attain- 
ments in this particular, the Savior says: "Go 
sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and 
thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, 
follow me." Now here was a "commandment" 
to be observed. But it was such a command as 
could not be obeyed without new moral condi- 
tions. His legalism was not strong enough to 
brook the order. Hence it is said, "When the 
young man heard that saying, he went away 
sorrowful." "Weighed in the balance and 
found wanting," as will ever be the fate of a 
"righteousness of law." 

It was the special purpose of the Apostle 
Paul, that most philosophical and most theo- 
logical of all the New Testament writers, to 
place under ban, forever, the delusive and mis- 
leading notion of the possibility of attaining to 
a "righteousness of law." Hear him: "Israel, 
following after a law of righteousness, did not 
arrive at that law. Wherefore? Because they 
sought it not by faith, but as it were by 
works." (Rom. 9: 31, 32.) If Israel could not 
find righteousness through law, can any other 
people hope to do so? No other people, before 
or since, ever had so favorable an opportunity 
for doing this very thing. Their legislation 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DAW 373 

was plainly written and complete. They had 
scribes and rabbis and priests and prophets and 
inspiration and miracles, abundant and super- 
abundant, to aid and encourage them, day by 
day, as no other people before or since ever en- 
joyed. And yet they failed to "attain to right- 
eousness." The defect was not in the law. 
No better legal code has ever been proposed. 
The Jewish law is the foundation of all subse- 
quent legislation, and of the best civilizations 
of the world. It was not for the lack of provi- 
dential sympathy and agency. No people were 
ever more signally favored in this regard. Why 
did they fail? "Because they sought it by 
works" — sought it in mere conformity to legal 
forms and requirements. And their failure will 
ever be the failure of all who seek righteous- 
ness in that way, whether it be at Jewish altars 
or Christian altars. 

In human governments, this outward con- 
formity to law is all that is aimed at, all that is 
required, all that is expected, all that is practi- 
cable. The president, the governor nor the 
sheriff feels called upon to inquire into your 
views and feelings upon moral or religious or 
political questions, but they do feel called upon 
to see that you pay your taxes, and obey the 
laws, whether you approve of these things or 
not. And, if they desired to go further than 



374 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

this, they would be estopped by their inability 
to read and regulate the minds and hearts of 
the people. In religion, however, the soul is 
the supreme sphere of action, and God is able 
to see and weigh and estimate the conditions of 
the mind and heart with even more facility 
than our state officials can look after our out- 
ward conduct. 

If we would draw music from any instru- 
ment, the first important thing is to see that 
the instrument itself is "in tune." Without 
this, no effort, however scientifically directed, 
however rigidly conforming to the laws of 
music, will ever produce music. Nor will such 
efforts ever put the instrument in tune. Piano- 
tuning and piano-playing are two distinct arts. 
No obedience to the outward forms of religion 
ever puts a human heart "in tune," ever turns 
it away from the love of sin to the love of God. 
No external observances can ever adjust our in- 
ternal moral relations with the Father of 
spirits. They can give expression to these 
spiritual conditions, and by their very exercise 
tend to a deeper realization and enjoyment of 
them. A "righteousness of law," in morals 
or in religion, is a mischievous sham, a fatal 
fraud, philosophically or theologically consid- 
ered. 

3. The righteousness of good intentions. 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 375 

That frame of mind that leads a man to fol- 
low the requirements of law because he believes 
them to be in the line of his moral obligations, 
is certainly superior, in its moral quality, to 
that other frame of mind which obeys the law 
simply because it is law. The former would 
probably endure the pains and penalties of an 
unrighteous law, rather than defile his con- 
science by doing what he believed to be morally 
wrong. The latter would probably shift 
the responsibility from himself onto the law, 
and stifle his conscience with the idea of his 
great loyalty to "the powers that be." In a 
case of casuistry, however, where no provisions 
of law obtain, where conscience and a per- 
sonal sense of duty are the only guides, it would 
not be difficult to foresee the diverging lines of 
conduct on the part of these two characters. 
The one having been loyal to the moral law, 
even to the extext of incurring and enduring 
the penalty of an unrighteous statutory com- 
mandment, would not hesitate to forego what 
might redound to his own personal advan- 
tage and interest, in order that he might 
be true to his convictions of conscience and 
duty, while the other, seeing no written law to 
forbid, would follow the leadings of his own 
selfish inclinations and interests, wholly ignor- 
ing the question of the right and the wrong in- 



376 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

volved in the transaction. What is the law? is 
one question, and a very important question. 
What is right? is another question, and a more 
important one. That courts often decide a case 
in favor of the law and against the right, and 
that juries often decide a case in favor of right 
and contrary to law, are well known facts. 

The most insidious and dangerous moral influ- 
ence is probably that encountered by the pro- 
fessional lawyer. Far be it from me to say, or 
even remotely intimate, that a lawyer may not 
be a righteous man, from a moral point of view, 
or even a righteous man from a religious point of 
view. But that with the average lawyer the 
standard of righteousness is the "righteousness 
of law, " is a well known fact. By the very force 
of habit the average lawyer is nothing more than 
a lawyer. He measures everything by the law 
in the case. The significant smile that plays 
over the face of such a man when you would 
talk to him of the moral principles, the right 
and the wrong of a case, is phenomenal, and 
calls to mind the exclamation of the Master — 
"Woe unto you lawyers!" The greatest vil- 
lainies known to history have, in many in- 
stances, been performed in the name of law, 
and under the protection of legal technicalities, 
while, in other instances the most laudable 
deeds and achievements of moral heroism have 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND IyAW 377 

been wrought out in opposition to, and in de- 
fiance of, law. The aphorism that "might 
makes right," is a pernicious and dangerous 
doctrine; while its converse, "right makes 
might," is a declaration of sublime moral 
truth. The former is the language of tyranny 
and unscrupulosity; the latter is the language 
of that unsophisticated moral nature, wisely 
tutored, which God has originally given to 
every man. 

But after all the "righteousness of good in- 
tentions," while superior in its moral tone 
to the "righteousness of law," can bring one to 
the possession of morality only and not of 
Christianity. It is a fact, however, that many 
very good people, whose moral excellence we 
would not discredit in any measure, either in 
the eyes of men or in the eyes of God, are 
living under the delusion, may we not say the 
fatal delusion, that theirs is the very highest 
attainment to be experienced in righteousness. 

No unchristianized character revealed to us 
in the Bible is, perhaps, more attractive, more 
commended, or more commendable, than that 
of Nathanael. L,et us read in John 1:45, and 
following: "Philip findeth Nathanael, and 
saith unto him, We have found him, of whom 
Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, 
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And 



378 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing- 
come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him,. 
Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming, 
and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, 
in whom is no guile!" 

The tone of righteousness pertaining to 
Nathanael's character — a righteousness not 
only of conformity to law, but of sympathy 
with the meaning and spirit of law, a righteous- 
ness of good intentions as well — was not only 
evinced in his high ideal of the Coming One, 
and the incongruity of such an one coming out 
of Nazareth, but is declared more emphatically 
and more authoritatively in the words of the 
Master — ^Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is 
no guile!" That was certainly no ordinary 
degree of excellence in righteousness to which 
Nathanael had grown. Was there any higher 
possibility in the way of spiritual evolution 
and righteousness in reserve for this guileless 
man, and to which he might hope yet to come? 
Let us note the sequel: 

"Nathanael said unto him, Whence knowest 
thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under 
the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered 
him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art 
King of Israel. ' ' 

The New Testament record is brief, con- 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 379 

densed and graphic. In these few verses con- 
cerning the meeting of Christ and Nathanael, 
there is material for lengthy chapters — chapters 
concerning righteousness, righteousness of cus- 
tom, righteousness of law, righteousness of good 
intentions — all culminating in a new view of 
the subject, a new experience, an enlargement 
of soul, an enlargement of faith and of life — a 
"righteousness in Christ," and a "righteous- 
ness of Christ." 

This splendid spiritual drama which imagin- 
ation so easily conceives, is closed by a promise 
of a still more splendid spiritual seance in the 
future, as new visions of this divine righteous- 
ness in Christ and of Christ shall be revealed 
to Nathanael — revealed to him within and with- 
out. Hear the Master: "Jesus answered and 
said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw 
thee underneath the fig tree, believest thou? 
Thou shalt see greater things than these? And 
he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, ye shall see the heaven opened, and the 
angels of God ascending and descending upon 
the Son of man." 

A too literal and materialistic interpretation 
placed upon passages like this, let fall so fre- 
quently from the divine lips of the Divine 
Teacher, shock us with their almost sacrilegious 
temerity and grossness. Evidently the Savior 



380 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

means to open up, perspectively, to the ex- 
panding spiritual apprehension of Nathanael, 
the fact and the possibilities of a larger growth 
on his part, and a larger realization of the 
power of faith — that faith to which he had now, 
in a measure, attained — and a richer experience 
and enjoyment of that righteousness of faith in 
the righteousness of the "Son of God," and 
the "King of Israel," as now discerned by this 
man "in whom there was no guile." 

Obedience to law through a feeling of loyalty 
to rightful authority, even where it is averse to 
one's inclinations and convictions, is well. It is 
well for the subject himself, in so far as he is 
thus restrained from the commission of overt 
acts of violence and sin. It is well for society 
that is thus protected from his evil inclinations, 
or what might otherwise be the consequences 
of them. 

Obedience to moral law induced by a love of 
the principles on which they are founded — 
obedience from good intentions, is better. It 
is better because the obedience is voluntary 
rather than involuntary; it is from choice, 
rather than against choice; it is from the love 
of the right rather than through fear of punish- 
ment; and to this extent the obedience has 
moral quality, and hence, is better. 

The righteousness that comes through obedi- 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 381 

ence to law, is the righteousness of loyalty; 
the righteousness that comes through obedience 
to good intentions, is the righteousness of mor- 
ality; the righteousness yet to be considered, 
that is secured in Christ, is Christianity, and is 
best. Righteousness of loyalty, righteousness 
of morality, righteousness of Christianity — 
these three, but the greatest of these is the 
righteousness of Christianity. 

4. The righteousness of Christ imputed. 

Before considering the righteousness of Chris- 
tianity in its true and final sense, it may be 
well to glance at that spurious form of it that 
once obtained currency in some of the old the- 
ologies, and which may not be entirely obliter- 
ated even at the present day. Almost every 
valuable thing has had its counterfeits. And 
every fundamental doctrine of Christianity has 
been followed by spurious imitations and mis- 
representations at some period of history. The 
form of righteousness we are now to consider, 
called the "imputed righteousness of Christ," 
consists in supposing the essential and real 
righteousness of the character of the Son of 
God, by some sort of spiritual legerdemain, to 
be transferred to the sinner, and to become his 
righteousness. In this view of the subject, 
Christ is a princely clothier with an ample sur- 
plus of righteousness, out of whose abundance 



382 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

there are "robes of righteousness" for every 
elect son of God. The righteousness of Christ 
is imputed to the sinner, and the sinner be- 
comes righteous de jure and de facto. This is 
a part of that commercial theory of the atone- 
ment which the world is fast outgrowing, and 
which, by an advancing civilization, is being 
relegated to merited oblivion. An honest man 
and an honest God are not satisfied with shams 
in their relations or in their transactions. Sin 
is a real, personal thing, made more easily 
accessible by the overshadowing effects and in- 
fluences of the first Adam. Righteousness is a 
real, personal thing, made more accessible by 
the far-reaching consequences and influences of 
the second Adam. But in both instances the 
transactions, all around, are genuine. There 
is no jugglery with truth and the eternal prin- 
ciples of righteousness on the part of God, nor 
can there be any sleight-of-hand performances 
in the matter of sin and salvation on the part 
of man. 

If I am arraigned before a conrt of justice 
and charged with a crime, let me be either con- 
victed or acquitted on the facts in the case. If 
I am acquitted, let it be upon the ground that 
I am "not guilty," and not simply upon the 
ground that I am "not proven guilty." If I 
am convicted, let me suffer the penalty of the 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 383 

law I have violated, or let me obtain the clem- 
ency of the government under which I live — 
obtain it in the way and according to the pro- 
visions appointed by my government for ex- 
tending pardon to transgressors of law, and 
their restoration to citizenship. When I stand 
before the court, convicted of crime, let not the 
presiding judge say to the jury: "This man is 
guilty, but his brother here is an innocent, 
good man; so make your verdict as to place to 
the credit of this bad man the good qualities of 
his brother, and declare him righteous — not 
guilty." 

Would a procedure like this be tolerated in a 
human government? Are we to believe that a 
policy that is unworthy of a human govern- 
ment, would be adopted and practiced in the 
divine government? 

There are three forms of righteousness: 

(i) A righteousness of nature. God is essen- 
tially righteous in his nature. Enlightened 
reason and revelation alike view him in this 
light. We cannot conceive of his doing 
wrong. When the Scriptures declare, "It is 
impossible for God to lie," we have but an 
announcement of the fact that the divine nature 
is not only immaculate, but impeccable. 

(2) A righteousness of character. A per- 
son may be righteous in character without 



384 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

being holy or immaculate in nature. The 
moral nature may not be strong enough to resist 
evil successfully at all times and under all con- 
ditions, but the desire and purpose are ever pres- 
ent to do so. Abraham was a righteous man — 
righteous in character though not in nature. 

(3) A righteousness of state. There is a 
difference between being of a righteous char- 
acter and being in a righteous state. There 
is a difference between a parental state and 
a parental character. A man may be a father 
and have children in his family, and not be 
fatherly — not have the character of a father. 
There is a difference between the filial state 
and character. A son may be in the family, 
and of the family, and yet be very unfilial 
in character. State has reference to a man's 
relations; character has reference to what he is, 
morally considered. 

Christ Jesus our Lord is righteous — righteous 
in nature, righteous in character, righteous in 
state. He was divine in his nature; he was 
loyal in every desire and purpose to live right ; 
he was always in normal relation with his 
Father. The sinner is unrighteous — unright- 
eous in nature, unrighteous in character, un- 
righteous in state. He is human and peccable 
in nature; he is not loyal in his desire and pur- 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 385 

pose for holy living; he is in abnormal moral 
relation with God the Father. 

Now the Scriptures declare that Christ has 
been "made unto us righteousness," and that 
he is "our righteousness." Christ, in the 
divine scheme of redemption, is the means, the 
medium, and the mediator, by which and by 
whom we are transformed and transferred — not 
transformed nor transferred in our nature, but 
transformed in our moral character, and trans- 
ferred in our moral state — transformed from an 
unrighteous character into a righteous charac- 
ter; transformed from an unrighteous state into 
a righteous state. Carrying with us the same 
peccable, human nature, we are transformed in 
our desire and purpose of unholy living into a 
desire and purpose for holy living; we are trans- 
ferred from our abnormal moral relations of un- 
belief into the normal moral relations of faith 
in God. And this brings us to our next sec- 
tion. 

5. The righteousness of faith. 

The doctrine of "justification by faith," or 

the "righteousness of faith," is fundamental in 

the Bible. The terms justify and justification 

have reference to the gracious act of God in 

receiving and forgiving us on the ground of our 

faith in his Son. "The righteousness of faith" 

is a scriptural phrase expressive of that moral 
25 



386 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

transformation which our faith in Christ pro- 
duces in us both as to character and state. 
Faith, gospel faith, is a moral force, a moral 
factor, a moral cause that produces moral mo- 
tion, moral results, moral effects. It produces 
a change in a man's moral state. Faith trans- 
fers a man from the moral state of unbelief into 
the moral state of belief, from insubordination 
to subordination, from alienation to affection, 
from unrighteousness to righteousness. 

Righteousness through law or through loyalty 
to law is impossible, and was so demonstrated of 
God in the history of the Jews — impossible be- 
cause mere loyalty to law, because it is law, 
does not generate moral qualities in character; 
impossible because perfect loyalty has never 
been attained by any man save the man Christ 
Jesus. And nothing short of perfect loyalty to 
law can secure the "righteousness of law." 
"He that keeps the whole law and offends in 
one point is guilty of all." 

Righteousness of morality is impossible for 
the same reason — its incompleteness. No man 
save the God-man has ever given the world a 
complete morality, a perfect fidelity to a perfect 
standard in all things. The "righteousness of 
faith" then is the only righteousness possible 
to a sinner. Through the atoning life and 
death of Jesus Christ God graciously forgives 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DAW 387 

sin, and enters into a new covenant with man 
whereby his faith — his self-surrender through 
conscious unworthiness on his own p?rt, and 
his trust in the proffered mercy of God — is 
"reckoned unto him for righteousness." 

The apostle Paul gives to this subject an ex- 
haustive treatment in his epistle to the Romans, 
in which he repeatedly gathers the rays of light 
into a luminous, burning focus in the way of a 
conclusion that is unmistakable and overwhelm- 
ing. Take the following as an example: 

"What shall we say then? That the Gen- 
tiles, who followed not after righteousness, 
attained to righteousness, even the righteous- 
ness which is of faith; but Israel, following 
after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at 
that law. Wherefore? Because they sought it 
not by faith, but as it were by works. They 
stumbled at the stone of stumbling; even as it 
is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of 
stumbling and a rock of offence: and he that 
believeth on him shall not be put to shame." 
(Rom. 9:30-33.) 

We have in this passage this whole subject in 
a nutshell. The very essence of the gospel and 
the very quintessence of Christianity are con- 
tained in this brief paragraph, "I lay in Zion 
a stone," that is Christ Jesus our Lord, the 
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the 



388 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

world. "And he that believeth on him shall 
not be put to shame." Why is he not put to 
shame? Because he is forgiven and received 
into the divine favor. Why is he forgiven? 
Because he "believeth on him." Here is the 
righteousness "that the Gentiles attained to, 
even the righteousness of faith." Here is the 
righteousness at which the Jews "stumbled" — 
"but Israel, following after a law of righteous- 
ness, did not arrive at that law." Now hear 
Paul raise a question over this and answer it. 
"Wherefore? Because they sought it not by 
faith, but as it were by works." "Going about 
to establish their own righteousness, they have 
not submitted themselves unto the righteous- 
ness of God." (Rom. 10:3.) They did not, in 
a spirit of conscious unworthiness, surrender 
themselves in faith, and trust in Christ, who 
was "made unto us righteousness;" trust in 
"Jehovah, our righteousness;" trust in the 
"righteousness of faith" — in the righteousness 
of trusting in the righteous?iess of God. 

Let us now inquire, what advantage is to be 
gained by this view of the subject? 

First. It brings the soul and holds it ever 
more directly in touch with God and in sympa- 
thy and fellowship with Christ. The tendency 
of men has always been to interpose something 
between themselves and God, rather than come 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND IvAW 389 

directly into personal relation with him. 
" Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let 
not God speak with us, lest we die," said the 
people to Moses. "And Moses said unto the 
people, Fear not; for God is come to prove 
you, and that his fear may be before you, that 
ye sin not." It is ever thus, God seeking to 
get near the people, and the people seeking to 
hide from God. Catholicism seeks to interpose 
a priesthood between the soul and God; and 
the priests magnify their official importance in 
the eyes of their willing dupes. Protestants 
imitate the Catholics largely in this direction 
by ignoring the fact that Christianity consti- 
tutes all Christians — "a holy priesthood to offer 
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through 
Jesus Christ," and by turning their personal 
duties and devotions over to the preacher, wor- 
shiping God largely by proxy. Creeds and rituals 
and ordinances are, in many instances, so unduly 
magnified in their importance as to receive 
that reverence and homage that should be 
given unto God; and thus become hindrances 
instead of helps to the Christian's communion 
— direct communion — with Christ. Law itself, 
and loyalty to law, objectively viewed, absorbs 
the attention and commands the efforts; and 
men thus seek a "righteousness of law." 
"This is the covenant that I will make with 



390 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

them, after those days, saith the Lord; I will 
put my laws on their heart, and iipon their 
mind also will I write them" — righteousness of 
law, righteousness of ordinances, and right- 
eousness of priestly intercession, are all to give 
place to the "righteousness of faith" — a right- 
eousness that brings the soul, and holds it ever- 
more directly in toitch with God, and in sympa- 
thy and fellowship with Chi'ist. 

Second. It makes the idea of imputed 
righteousness real and not fictitious, scriptural 
and not spurious. No intelligent Christian 
man wants to appear before God in borrowed 
clothes — in a robe of righteousness that is 
really Christ's and not his own. The right- 
eous intercession of the righteous Christ makes 
it possible for God to "be just and the justifier 
of him that believeth;" and makes it possible 
for the believer to clothe himself with a "right- 
eousness of faith," and a personal righteousness 
of life and of character. Not that we are ab- 
solutely perfect in character yet, but we are in 
that moral state where our frailties are provided 
for, and where we may grow in righteousness 
of life and character and ultimately "become 
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped 
from the corruption that is in the world by 
lust." (2 Pet. 1:4.) The righteousness then 
that is "imputed" to the Christian is his own 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 391 

righteousness attained through the forgiveness 
of sins and the development of a personal 
Christian character in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Third. — It places a value, an intelligent value, 
upon all moral worth, and upon all good works. 
"Whosoever shall give a cup of cold water 
only, in the name of a disciple, he shall in no 
wise lose his reward." (Matt. 10:42.) That is 
the lesson in brief — "In the name of a disciple" 
carries along with it the element of faith; and 
even the small charity, a "cup of water" be- 
comes an accretion to his "righteousness of 
faith." To give a cup of water to a disciple 
because some law or custom required it would 
be a mechanical service and carry along with 
it no moral value, no moral "reward." While 
the water given, even mechanically, would be 
to the thirsty man a blessing, as great a phys- 
ical blessing as if given in faith, yet it would 
not be of moral benefit to the giver. "Right- 
eousness of law" can not enrich itself by good 
works, but the "righteousness of faith" never 
"loses its reward." 

Thought, feeling and action determine char- 
acter. Character is what a man really is, repu- 
tation is what he appears to be. Thought and 
action alone do not give moral tone to char- 
acter. They may give reputation, even the 



392 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PUEA 

reputation of being religious; but feeling is es- 
sential to moral character; and faith, which is a 
form of feeling, is essential to religious char- 
acter. 

Righteousness imputed, in the sense of being 
bestowed upon a man from without, is unreal 
and without moral value. Righteousness that 
grows from within, under the inspiration of 
faith in God, is genuine, and all its works have 
a real value. 

Fourth. — It gives a new and stronger incen- 
tive for the attainment of personal righteous- 
ness. A wayward boy falls into disgrace, and, 
humiliated by a sense of his own unworthi- 
ness, is on the verge of despair. His older 
brother comes to him with a message from the 
father. He is assured of the brother's sympathy 
and of the father's affection, of their confidence 
in his ability to yet become a man, and of their 
readiness to help him in the attempt, to re-en- 
force his efforts by fraternal and paternal sym- 
pathy and assistance. With faith in these 
promises and assurances, he is renewed in his 
strength, and becomes a man again. He is 
now wiser for his experience — knows himself 
better, knows sin and its tendencies better, 
knows the nature of filial and parental love 
better, has the new impulse of gratitude planted 



RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LAW 393 

in his heart, and feels a new and stronger in- 
centive for the attainment of moral excellence 
and a virtuous manhood than he ever had, than 
he ever could have had without this experience, 
without this righteousness of faith to which he 
has come. 

The application of this to our redemption 
from sin through the love of God in Christ 
Jesus our Lord, and the new incentive for holy 
living thus created in our souls by the "right- 
eousness of faith," is too apparent to need em- ■ 
phasis. The revelation made to the soul of 
man through this wonderful scheme of salvation 
is a sublime impulse. The possibilities of its 
own moral and spiritual nature thus disclosed — 
disclosed as they could have been in no other 
way — leads it to exclaim, "What is man, that 
thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man, 
that thou dost visit him!" — visit him with such 
a marvelous redemption as enables and inspires 
a really unrighteous man to become a really 
righteous one! And the infinite possibilities 
of the nature and character of God thus re- 
vealed impel the further exclamation, "O the 
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the 
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his 
judgments, and his ways past finding out! For 
who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who 



394 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF OUR PLEA 

hath been his counsellor? or who hath first given 
to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him 
again? For of him, and through him, and unto 
him are all things. To him be glory forever. 
Amen. ' ' 



Oct t 1001 



SEP 20 1901 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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